ESGR trip Flight Nurse and Local Nurse Manager

Members of the 315th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron at Joint Base Charleston, S.C. utilize their medical skills on Sherry Perkins during a 315 AES Squadron training flight to Keesler Air Force Base, Miss. June 21, 2012. The flight introduced Perkins, and other Guard and Reserve employers, to the U.S. Air Force Reserve and allowed them to see what their employees do when they report for training and participate in real-world missions. Perkins is a clinical manager at one of the Roper St. Francis Healthcare emergency departments in Charleston, S.C. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Staff Sgt. Shane Ellis)

ESGR trip Flight Nurse and Local Nurse Manager

Sherry Perkins is strapped to a litter while she plays the role of a patient onboard a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft during a 315th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron training flight to Keesler Air Force Base, Miss. June 21, 2012. The flight introduced Perkins, and other Guard and Reserve employers, to the U.S. Air Force Reserve and allowed them to see what their employees do when they report for training and participate in real-world missions. Perkins is a clinical manager at one of the Roper St. Francis Healthcare emergency departments in Charleston, S.C. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Staff Sgt. Shane Ellis)

ESGR trip Flight Nurse and Local Nurse Manager

Maj. Roseann Teckman and Tech. Sgt. Gregory Gaines complete a training scenario with Sherry Perkins who plays the role of a patient onboard a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft during a training flight to Keesler Air Force Base, Miss. June 21, 2012. The flight introduced Perkins, and other Guard and Reserve employers, to the U.S. Air Force Reserve and allowed them to see what their employees do when they report for training and participate in real-world missions. Teckman is a 315 AES flight nurse, Gaines is a 315 AES aeromedical evacuation technician, and Perkins is a clinical manager at one of the Roper St. Francis Healthcare emergency departments in Charleston, S.C. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Staff Sgt. Shane Ellis)

ESGR trip Flight Nurse and Local Nurse Manager

Maj. Roseann Teckman and Sherry Perkins talk about life as a flight nurse during a 315th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron training flight to Keesler Air Force Base, Miss. June 21, 2012. The flight introduced Guard and Reserve employers to the U.S. Air Force Reserve and allowed them to see what their employees do when they report for training and participate in real-world missions. Teckman is a flight nurse with the 315 AES and an automated external defibrillator coordinator at Roper St. Francis Healthcare in Charleston, S.C. Perkins is a clinical manager at one of the Roper St. Francis Healthcare emergency departments in Charleston, S.C. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Staff Sgt. Shane Ellis)

Employer gets flight of a lifetime

Published July 2, 2012
By Staff Sgt. Shane Ellis
315th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

Joint Base Charleston, S.C. -- The cargo compartment was configured, the engines steadily hummed, and the six member aeromedical evacuation team worked skillfully to treat a patient who suffered from chest pain, labored breathing, and decreased oxygen levels in her body. Looking back, the patient never thought she would be strapped to a litter on a military aircraft while a medical team worked to save her life 37,000 feet above the earth.

The patient on the flight was Sherry Perkins, a clinical manager at one of the Roper St. Francis Healthcare emergency departments in Charleston, S.C. Perkins was not a real patient during flight; she was participating in a medical training exercise as part of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve's annual Bosslift to Keesler Air Force Base, Miss. June 21-22.

The ESGR Bosslift was supported by the 315th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron which conducted training exercise to and from Keesler. While en route to Keesler, Perkins was selected to be a patient for one of the training scenarios conducted by the 315 AES team.

As a registered nurse, Perkins works with several people who serve in the U.S. Air Force Reserve. One of the nurses Perkins works with at Roper is Maj. Roseann Teckman.

Teckman is a traditional reservist who began her service as a flight nurse with the 315 AES in 2003. In her civilian job she is an automated external defibrillator coordinator at Roper St. Francis Healthcare in Charleston, S.C. Teckman invited Perkins to participate in the Bosslift in an effort to show her what AES members do when they report for training and participate in real-world missions.

During the AES training flight Teckman asked Perkins if she would play the role of patient for one of the training scenarios. While acting as a patient, Perkins wore a headset and was able to listen to everything being said by the AES team members treating her.

When the training scenario ended, Perkins said she was impressed with the level of skill and teamwork displayed by the AES team members.

"In the hospital we have what seems like an unlimited amount of people and resources at our disposal to ensure our patients have the best treatment and care possible, said Perkins." "This is basically a flying hospital, and I was most impressed as to how the team relied on each other and made best use of the limited medical supplies on the plane. As a nurse, I gained a deeper appreciation for the level of training and teamwork required to do what they do for our country."

Teckman has been a nurse since 2001 and decided to join the USAFR in 2003 because she wanted to experience nursing in a capacity outside of the hospital.

According to Teckman, working around a full-time civilian job to maintain her military flight status requires good time management skills and an employer who supports what she does in the USAFR.

"Roper is very supportive of the registered nurses and techs who serve in the Air Force Reserve," said Teckman. "Sherry is a clinical manager at Roper, she is always supportive of what we do, and I wanted to give her the opportunity to experience what I do as a nurse when I am away from the hospital serving my country."

According to Perkins, the opportunity to participate in the training mission was one that she could not pass up, and the insight she gained during the mission was priceless.

"Words can't describe what I learned and experienced during the flight," said Perkins. "The flight made me realize how valuable my Reserve employees are to the Air Force and the Roper emergency department. I am so thankful that Roseann invited me to go on the trip. It was awesome!"

As for Teckman, her job as a flight nurse is all about the patients she serves.

"The best part of being a flight nurse is taking care of the wounded warriors," said Teckman. "Our wounded warriors come from all branches of the service, and it's our job to keep them safe and make them comfortable while we care for them during the transport home. They are always grateful for our assistance and that is true job satisfaction."