Reserve flight medics get wounded home

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Bethaney Trapp
  • 433rd Airlift Wing
LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  The 433rd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron is getting the war wounded to medical facilities closer to their homes once they arrive in the U.S.
The 433rd AES works with the detachment out of Scott AFB, Ill. for this rotation, while Travis AFB, Calif. and Andrews AFB, Md. are two other stateside bases receiving patients that need to be transported within the country.
"We're transporting people coming back from the theater," said Tech. Sgt. Lisa Hassell, a medical technician with the 433rd AES.
"Their first stop is at Andrews AFB, Md. then, when they get to Scott AFB, we transport them back to their home station if they're not returning to duty or to a hospital for continuation care," said Sergeant Hassell.
The squadron is made of primarily AES crews from all across Air Force Reserve Command who serve on active duty for one year. During that year they rotate between Scott AFB and their home units.
"Two nurses and three medical technicians are assigned to each medical evacuation crew and they rotate about every 60 days," said Sergeant Hassell, .
Sergeant Hassell's crew returned home December 23 and is scheduled to do another 60-day tour in February. The period between rotations can leave them with mixed feelings.
"I was satisfied that we got the first 60 days out of the way but, at the same time, I felt we should be out there longer because there were more people out there," said Sergeant Hassell.
Serving the wounded warriors is the most rewarding for both Major Howard and Sergeant Hassell each for different reasons.
"Taking care of the patients, making them comfortable and doing the best I can to take care of their needs," Maj. JoAnne Howard, a 433rd AES flight nurse, said were most important to her.
"I enjoy it," said Sergeant Hassell. "I've been doing it for 18 years this month. It's a true satisfaction to get them where they need to be going."
Not all of the crewmembers have that much experience, but the 60-day rotations provide opportunities to gain more hands-on training and mission experience.
"For the most part, the experience level is high," said Sergeant Hassell. "They've gone out two or three times already. Most of the nurses work in critical care units in their civilian jobs and the med techs have been deployed several times," said Sergeant Hassell.
"A crew would fly every third day and we ended up doing 13 missions the 60 days that we were there per crew."
One mission stood out for her.
"We brought some patients to Minneapolis, Minn. for rehab," said Major Howard. "One was a Marine who was paralyzed and could only blink his eyes. There was a lot of care involved. He couldn't communicate his needs very well so we really had to watch for other signs of discomfort or any other of his needs."
On this flight, the Marine's parents were on board. Involving them in the care of their son was a way to extend care to them for Major Howard.
"We also let the parents be more involved because they could tell what his needs were and they seemed to appreciate it," said Major Howard.
For Sergeant Hassell, a certain connection with each service member she cared for stays with her.
"They're so young and being a mom, it really gets to you," said Sergeant Hassell. "My son is 17 and most of these guys are 19 to 21. Their spirits and their attitudes are uplifting considering what they've gone through, said Sergeant Hassell.
Often, military members feel forgotten when their duties don't take them to the front lines. But more and more, Airmen are coming to realize how integral every task is to over-all mission success. In the medical evacuation mission, those stateside moves can easily impact the patient the most.
"The fact that we're stateside isn't any less important than being overseas," said Sergeant Hassell. "We're the last people they see before they go home. Once they get to us, they've been in the system for three to four days and they're ready to go home. It's very rewarding to be involved in the mission of taking care of the soldiers," said Maj. Howard.