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433rd ASTS Train With First Responders, Healthcare Professionals in Guyana

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Jacob Lewis
  • 433rd Airlift Wing
GEORGETOWN, Guyana --  

Nearly 60 U.S. Air Force medical professionals launched the final engagement of the 2025 Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team (LAMAT) 2025 mission March 29, working alongside Guyanese partners over two weeks to share medical knowledge, deliver vital equipment, and strengthen international relationships.

Airmen from the 433rd Aeromedical Staging Squadron (ASTS) at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, arriving prepared to lead, connect, and provide critical care across five major medical facilities in Guyana: Port Mourant Hospital, New Amsterdam Regional Hospital, West Demerara Regional Hospital, Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, and the Cheddi Jagan Dental School. The LAMAT 25 mission is part of ongoing global health engagement initiative led by Air Forces Southern (AFSOUTH).

04:06
VIDEO | 04:06 | Ready Now, and Anywhere, 433rd Citizen Airmen go to Guyana for LAMAT 2025


“The most important goal is to demonstrate our readiness, and willingness to support our partner nations through global health initiatives,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Angella Mudd, 433rd ASTS and LAMAT Guyana mission commander. “The 433rd ASTS has worked tirelessly with a focus on specific training needs to provide needed specialized care anywhere and anytime.”

At Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation—the country’s busiest public hospital—the team partnered with Dr. Zulfikar Bux, head of the emergency department and national director for emergency medicine, to integrate into the emergency room and other hospital departments. There, the U.S. team encountered a range of high-acuity cases, including gunshot wounds, traffic accident trauma, childbirth, and pediatric emergencies.

With Bux’s support, the team also worked with Ron Morris, chief emergency medical technician for Guyana Emergency Medical Services. Together, they visited the Eccles Fire Station and Guyana Fire Service Headquarters, where they exchanged best practices and introduced tactical combat casualty care (TCCC) techniques.

Gregory Wickham, Guyana Fire Services chief fire officer, and Ron Morris, Guyana Emergency Medical Service chief emergency medical technician, pose for a photo with U.S. Air Force members from the 433rd Aeromedical Staging Squadron at the Guyana Fire Station Headquarters on a tour during the LAMAT mission in Georgetown, Guyana, April 2, 2025.

Gregory Wickham, Guyana Fire Services chief fire officer, and Ron Morris, Guyana Emergency Medical Service chief emergency medical technician, pose for a photo with U.S. Air Force members from the 433rd Aeromedical Staging Squadron at the Guyana Fire Station Headquarters on a tour during the LAMAT mission in Georgetown, Guyana, April 2, 2025. The LAMAT mission brings together medical military members, local healthcare professionals and students in Latin America and the Caribbean region to facilitate knowledge sharing between host nation counterparts and U.S. military personnel to strengthen partnerships. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Jacob Lewis)
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U.S. Air Force Maj. Alisha Young, 433rd Aeromedical Staging Squadron critical care air transport team physician, gifted the Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team patch to Gregory Wickham, Guyana Fire Services chief fire officer, during a tour of the Guyana Fire Service Headquarters during the LAMAT mission in Georgetown, Guyana, April 2, 2025.

U.S. Air Force Maj. Alisha Young, 433rd Aeromedical Staging Squadron critical care air transport team physician, gifted the Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team patch to Gregory Wickham, Guyana Fire Services chief fire officer, during a tour of the Guyana Fire Service Headquarters during the LAMAT mission in Georgetown, Guyana, April 2, 2025. The LAMAT mission brings together medical military members and local healthcare professionals in Latin America and the Caribbean region to facilitate knowledge sharing as well as creating bonds and reinforcing partnerships for future cooperation. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Jacob Lewis)
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Ron Morris, chief emergency medical technician with the Guyana Emergency Medical Service; Dehola Jacobs, station officer at Eccles Fire Station; and Guyanese emergency medical technicians pose for a group photo with U.S. Air Force members from the 433rd Aeromedical Staging Squadron during a tour of the Eccles Fire Station in Georgetown, Guyana, April 2, 2025.

Ron Morris, chief emergency medical technician with the Guyana Emergency Medical Service; Dehola Jacobs, station officer at Eccles Fire Station; and Guyanese emergency medical technicians pose for a group photo with U.S. Air Force members from the 433rd Aeromedical Staging Squadron during a tour of the Eccles Fire Station in Georgetown, Guyana, April 2, 2025. The visit was part of the Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team mission, which brings together U.S. military medical personnel, local healthcare professionals, and students from across Latin America and the Caribbean to share knowledge and strengthen partnerships. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Jacob Lewis)
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“Any approach to patient care should be multidisciplinary,” said Morris. “We should work as a team. Sharing those skills, sharing that knowledge is not just beneficial for the individual, but it’s also beneficial for effective patient care and management.”

The U.S. team also joined Guyanese EMTs for ambulance ride-alongs, gaining insight into local response procedures and equipment use. Cleveland King, an advanced EMT training officer with Guyana Fire Service and EMS, demonstrated equipment and shared emergency tactics with 433rd ASTS members.

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Rodrigo Salinas, 433rd Aeromedical Staging Squadron medical technician, and U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Brandon Lowe, 433rd Aeromedical Staging Squadron medical technician, learn from Cleveland King, a Guyana Fire and Emergency Medical Service advanced emergency medical technician training officer, about the equipment and protocol procedures for EMTs on an ambulance at the Guyana Fire Service Headquarters during the Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team mission in Georgetown, Guyana, April 3, 2025.

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Rodrigo Salinas, 433rd Aeromedical Staging Squadron medical technician, and U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Brandon Lowe, 433rd Aeromedical Staging Squadron medical technician, learn from Cleveland King, a Guyana Fire and Emergency Medical Service advanced emergency medical technician training officer, about the equipment and protocol procedures for EMTs on an ambulance at the Guyana Fire Service Headquarters during the Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team mission in Georgetown, Guyana, April 3, 2025. The LAMAT mission brings together medical military members and local healthcare workers in Latin America and the Caribbean region to facilitate knowledge sharing and for skills transfer between host nation counterparts and U.S. military personnel to strengthen partnerships. The knowledge exchange is mutually beneficial for healthcare workers to learn from each other to improve critical care skills to impact and save lives. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Jacob Lewis)
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Ron Morris, Guyana Emergency Medical Service chief emergency medical technician, and a Guyana fire fighter pose for a photo with U.S. Air Force members from the 433rd Aeromedical Staging Squadron at the Guyana Fire Station Headquarters on a tour during the LAMAT mission in Georgetown, Guyana, April 2, 2025.

Ron Morris, Guyana Emergency Medical Service chief emergency medical technician, and a Guyana fire fighter pose for a photo with U.S. Air Force members from the 433rd Aeromedical Staging Squadron at the Guyana Fire Station Headquarters on a tour during the LAMAT mission in Georgetown, Guyana, April 2, 2025. The LAMAT mission brings together medical military members, local healthcare professionals and students in Latin America and the Caribbean region to facilitate knowledge sharing between host nation counterparts and U.S. military personnel to strengthen partnerships. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Jacob Lewis)
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U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Rodrigo Salinas and Senior Airman Brandon Lowe, both medical technicians with the 433rd Aeromedical Staging Squadron, learn how to apply a cervical collar inside an ambulance from Cleveland King, an advanced emergency medical technician training officer with the Guyana Fire and Emergency Medical Service, at the Guyana Fire Service Headquarters in Georgetown, Guyana, April 3, 2025. The training was part of the Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team mission, which brings together U.S. military medical personnel and local healthcare professionals from across Latin America and the Caribbean to exchange knowledge and strengthen partnerships.

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Rodrigo Salinas and Senior Airman Brandon Lowe, both medical technicians with the 433rd Aeromedical Staging Squadron, learn how to apply a cervical collar inside an ambulance from Cleveland King, an advanced emergency medical technician training officer with the Guyana Fire and Emergency Medical Service, at the Guyana Fire Service Headquarters in Georgetown, Guyana, April 3, 2025. The training was part of the Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team mission, which brings together U.S. military medical personnel and local healthcare professionals from across Latin America and the Caribbean to exchange knowledge and strengthen partnerships. The collaboration enhances critical care skills and improves the ability to save lives. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Jacob Lewis)
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“Thank you so much for all this training and insight,” said Tech. Sgt. Rodrigo Salinas, 433rd ASTS medical technician. “It is amazing how much we have in common. We have different resources and procedures in America, but here you’re still able to give life-saving care with the limited equipment and supplies you have.”

Moved by King’s passion and skill, Salinas presented him with his velcro technical sergeant stripes.

“I was very impressed with your attention to detail and your passion to save lives,” Salinas said. “That’s why I want to give you my tech sergeant stripes—you really remind me of myself.”

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Rodrigo Salinas, 433rd Aeromedical Staging Squadron medical technician, and Cleveland King, a Guyana Fire and Emergency Medical Service advanced emergency medical technician training officer, pose for a picture at the Guyana Fire Service Headquarters after EMT training during the Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team mission in Georgetown, Guyana, April 3, 2025.

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Rodrigo Salinas, 433rd Aeromedical Staging Squadron medical technician, and Cleveland King, a Guyana Fire and Emergency Medical Service advanced emergency medical technician training officer, pose for a picture at the Guyana Fire Service Headquarters after EMT training during the Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team mission in Georgetown, Guyana, April 3, 2025. The LAMAT mission brings together medical military members and local healthcare workers in Latin America and the Caribbean region to facilitate knowledge sharing as well as creating bonds and reinforcing partnerships for future cooperation. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Jacob Lewis)
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U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Brandon Lowe, 433rd Aeromedical Staging Squadron medical technician, and Cleveland King, a Guyana Fire and Emergency Medical Service advanced emergency medical technician training officer, pose for a picture at the Guyana Fire Service Headquarters after EMT training during the Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team mission in Georgetown, Guyana, April 3, 2025.

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Brandon Lowe, 433rd Aeromedical Staging Squadron medical technician, and Cleveland King, a Guyana Fire and Emergency Medical Service advanced emergency medical technician training officer, pose for a picture at the Guyana Fire Service Headquarters after EMT training during the Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team mission in Georgetown, Guyana, April 3, 2025. The LAMAT mission brings together medical military members and local healthcare workers in Latin America and the Caribbean region to facilitate knowledge sharing as well as creating bonds and reinforcing partnerships for future cooperation. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Jacob Lewis)
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U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Rodrigo Salinas, 433rd Aeromedical Staging Squadron medical technician, gifted his U.S. Air Force technical sergeant stripes to Cleveland King, a Guyana Fire and Emergency Medical Service advanced emergency medical technician training officer, after EMT training at the Guyana Fire Service Headquarters during the Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team mission in Georgetown, Guyana, April 3, 2025.

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Rodrigo Salinas, 433rd Aeromedical Staging Squadron medical technician, gifted his U.S. Air Force technical sergeant stripes to Cleveland King, a Guyana Fire and Emergency Medical Service advanced emergency medical technician training officer, after EMT training at the Guyana Fire Service Headquarters during the Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team mission in Georgetown, Guyana, April 3, 2025. The LAMAT mission brings together medical military members and local healthcare workers in Latin America and the Caribbean region to facilitate knowledge sharing as well as creating bonds and reinforcing partnerships for future cooperation. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Jacob Lewis)
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Later, the U.S. team returned to Fire Service Headquarters to deliver an introductory TCCC course led by Maj. Alisha Young, a 433rd ASTS critical care air transport team physician. She taught emergency responders about trauma systems, the U.S. hub-and-spoke hospital model, and the importance of logistics in delivering trauma care.
 

U.S. Air Force Maj. Alisha Young, a critical care air transport team physician with the 433rd Aeromedical Staging Squadron, gives a brief overview of tactical combat casualty care to Guyanese emergency medical technicians and firefighters during hands-on training at the Guyana Fire Service Headquarters in Georgetown, Guyana, April 9, 2025.

U.S. Air Force Maj. Alisha Young, a critical care air transport team physician with the 433rd Aeromedical Staging Squadron, gives a brief overview of tactical combat casualty care to Guyanese emergency medical technicians and firefighters during hands-on training at the Guyana Fire Service Headquarters in Georgetown, Guyana, April 9, 2025. The training was part of the Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team mission, which brings together U.S. military medical personnel and local healthcare professionals from Latin America and the Caribbean to share knowledge and strengthen partnerships. The exchange allows participants to enhance critical care skills and improve their ability to save lives. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Jacob Lewis)
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“In the military we need to be able to go anywhere in the world in a moment’s notice,” said Young. “Every moment is crucial and knowing the best logistical routes to save lives is paramount.”

She emphasized the role of EMS in maximizing the “Golden Hour”—the first 60 minutes following a traumatic injury—and the significance of early medical intervention by first responders.

“Hospitals and healthcare professionals can only do so much when the patient arrives,” Young said. “As first responders, those initial moments can be the difference between life, limb, and eyesight.”

The training concluded with small-group, hands-on scenarios using tourniquets and other tools for practical learning.

U.S. Air Force Maj. Alisha Young, 433rd Aeromedical Staging Squadron critical care air transport team physician, Tech. Sgt. Jimmy Eitutis, 433rd ASTS medical admin, and U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Brandon Lowe, 433rd ASTS medical technician, trains alongside Guyana emergency medical technicians and firefighters for hands-on training of tactical combat casualty care at the Guyana Fire Service Headquarters during the Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team mission in Georgetown, Guyana, April 9, 2025.

U.S. Air Force Maj. Alisha Young, 433rd Aeromedical Staging Squadron critical care air transport team physician, Tech. Sgt. Jimmy Eitutis, 433rd ASTS medical admin, and U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Brandon Lowe, 433rd ASTS medical technician, trains alongside Guyana emergency medical technicians and firefighters for hands-on training of tactical combat casualty care at the Guyana Fire Service Headquarters during the Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team mission in Georgetown, Guyana, April 9, 2025. The LAMAT mission brings together medical military members and local healthcare professionals in Latin America and the Caribbean region to facilitate knowledge sharing and for skills transfer between host nation counterparts and U.S. military personnel to strengthen partnerships. The knowledge exchange is mutually beneficial for healthcare professionals to learn from each other to improve critical care skills to impact and save lives. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Jacob Lewis)
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U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Suzanne Redd, senior enlisted leader with the 433rd Aeromedical Staging Squadron, participates in hands-on tactical combat casualty care training alongside Guyanese emergency medical technicians and firefighters at the Guyana Fire Service Headquarters in Georgetown, Guyana, April 9, 2025.

U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Suzanne Redd, senior enlisted leader with the 433rd Aeromedical Staging Squadron, participates in hands-on tactical combat casualty care training alongside Guyanese emergency medical technicians and firefighters at the Guyana Fire Service Headquarters in Georgetown, Guyana, April 9, 2025. The training was part of the Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team mission, which brings together U.S. military medical personnel and local healthcare professionals from Latin America and the Caribbean to share knowledge and strengthen partnerships. The exchange enhances critical care skills and improves the ability to save lives. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Jacob Lewis)
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U.S. Air Force Maj. Alisha Young, a critical care air transport team physician with the 433rd Aeromedical Staging Squadron, trains alongside Tech. Sgt. Jimmy Eitutis, a medical administrator, and Senior Airman Brandon Lowe, a medical technician, both also with the 433rd ASTS, during hands-on tactical combat casualty care training with Guyanese emergency medical technicians and firefighters at the Guyana Fire Service Headquarters in Georgetown, Guyana, April 9, 2025.

U.S. Air Force Maj. Alisha Young, a critical care air transport team physician with the 433rd Aeromedical Staging Squadron, trains alongside Tech. Sgt. Jimmy Eitutis, a medical administrator, and Senior Airman Brandon Lowe, a medical technician, both also with the 433rd ASTS, during hands-on tactical combat casualty care training with Guyanese emergency medical technicians and firefighters at the Guyana Fire Service Headquarters in Georgetown, Guyana, April 9, 2025. The training was part of the Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team mission, which brings together U.S. military medical personnel and local healthcare professionals from Latin America and the Caribbean to share knowledge and strengthen partnerships. The exchange enhances critical care skills and helps improve the ability to save lives. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Jacob Lewis)
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“My favorite part of the training was the hands-on practical learning,” said King. “Learning new skills and applying them in training expands my range of knowledge. We want to say thank you, good work, keep it up, and we look forward to continuous collaboration as we develop EMS even more in Guyana.”

Mudd highlighted the value of investing in healthcare partnerships and emphasized the importance of first responders in the global health ecosystem.

“My team’s goal is to help facilitate global health initiatives, and it starts with those first responders who transport lives to clinics and hospitals,” she said. “Global health initiatives rely on teamwork, community, and readiness. I’ve been humbled by the hospitality of the Guyanese people and government. At every opportunity, our partner nation has expressed gratitude, and we look forward to continuing to strengthen our partnerships. Reserve Citizen Airmen are ready now to save lives—not just through hands-on treatment, but by investing in the future of our partner nations’ healthcare systems.”

Gregory Wickham, chief fire officer of the Guyana Fire Service; Cleon Thom-Fernandes, assistant divisional officer, GFS; and Ron Morris, chief emergency medical technician of the Guyana Emergency Medical Service, pose for a group photo after completing tactical combat casualty care training at the Guyana Fire Service Headquarters in Georgetown, Guyana, April 9, 2025.

Gregory Wickham, chief fire officer of the Guyana Fire Service; Cleon Thom-Fernandes, assistant divisional officer, GFS; and Ron Morris, chief emergency medical technician of the Guyana Emergency Medical Service, pose for a group photo after completing tactical combat casualty care training at the Guyana Fire Service Headquarters in Georgetown, Guyana, April 9, 2025. The training was part of the Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team mission, which brings together U.S. military medical personnel and local healthcare professionals in Latin America and the Caribbean to facilitate knowledge sharing and strengthen partnerships. The exchange allows participants to improve critical care skills and enhance their ability to save lives. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Jacob Lewis)
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