Medical crews train for any situation

Published Aug. 28, 2007
By Staff Sgt. Jeff Kelly
315 AW/PA

CHARLESTON AFB, S.C. -- This weekend, several Aeromedical Evacuation Squadrons from around the Air Force Reserve converged on Westover Air Force Base, Mass., to take part in a medical training jamboree designed to allow AES crews to share expertise with one another.

The annual jamboree allows AES crews to fly on unfamiliar airframes, giving them added experience to deal with situations they could possibly find themselves in while deployed.

Reservists from the 315th Airlift Wing, Charleston AFB, S.C., 439th AW, Westover AFB, Mass., 934th AW, Minneapolis, Minn., 911th AW, Pittsburgh, Pa., and the 932nd AW, Scott AFB, Ill., took part in the exercise.

"Every time I have the opportunity to attend training such as this, I always learn something new," said Master Sgt. Vivian Caraviello, a medical technician with the 315th AW AES. "It gives us all the opportunity to reacquaint ourselves with aircraft we normally don't fly on."

There were four different aircraft used during the jamboree, which offered the participating AES Reservists a wide variety of training possibilities. A C-17 Globemaster III, C-5 Galaxy, C-130 Hercules and a KC-135 Stratotanker were all utilized by AES crews over the weekend.

"We don't always have a C-130 or KC-135 available as a training platform, and getting the hands-on training in this jamboree gives you a better understanding of these other aircraft that you usually only see in your computer based training," said Master Sgt. Caraviello."

While in flight, the AES crews simulated emergency situations that would raise the heartbeat of anyone witnessing the training. Most of the injured patients were portrayed by live participants, adding to the realism of the scenarios.

The problems encountered by the AES personnel while in flight ranged from cardiac arrests of patients to catastrophic damage and depressurization of the aircraft. The training was intense, but invaluable to the Reservists who took part.

"AES is number-one and will always strive to be number-one when it comes to medical care," said Lieutenant Colonel Paula Frasier, flight nurse with the 315th AES. "This weekend, we saw that we have a bunch of young energetic Reservists who are enthusiastic about everything. Our camaraderie is good and we just gel, which is so important in our career field."