10th CAB demonstrates medevac capabilities with German Army

Photo By Sgt. Thomas Scaggs | German Army medics rush a casualty toward C Company's UH-60 Black Hawk medevac helicopter during a demonstration at Lehnin Training Area, Germany, on March 29. This was part of a robust demo of the German Army's medevac procedures, which included a 10th Combat Aviation Brigade medevac helicopter-- highlighting our Armies' ability to work together to save lives on the battlefield. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Thomas Scaggs) 170329-A-TZ475-111  

BRUCK, BRANDENBURG, GERMANY

03.29.2017

Story by Spc. Thomas Scaggs 

10th Combat Aviation Brigade

BRÜCK, GERMANY (March 29, 2017)-- UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crews from C Company, 3-10 General Support Aviation Battalion, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division (LI), assisted the German Army with a demonstration of combined medevac capabilities at Lehnin Training Area in Brück, Germany, on March 29.
The multi-stage demonstration, shown to members of NATO allied forces and German parliament, detailed the process of casualty care from the battlefield to the hospital and, in doing so, showcased the high-level of medical capability offered by our partnership.
“This demonstration shows the capacity and capabilities of the German Medical Service,” said German Army Lt. Col. Andreas Walter, the medical demonstration’s director and head of the medical school in Bavaria. “We like to use helicopters, especially American helicopters, because it is really important to train on cooperation and procedures, for transporting casualties into a helicopter, on a multi-national level.”
The demonstration had four different stages, sometimes with stadium seating and live-action camera footage projected on a theater-sized screen.
The first stage saw mock live fire from tanks and infantry, setting the stage for a battle in the distance. Mock casualties, complete with fake blood, were transported before the seats and triaged before being loaded into a massive German boxer medical vehicle.
At the second stage, the vehicle arrived and unloaded its casualties into the care of skilled staff who tended to wounds inside tents while the screen outside projects all the action.
The wounded, now stable enough for long-range transport, were moved by vehicle to the next stage where a green smoke grenade had been tossed in a field to signal the incoming medevac helicopter. A thunderous rumble echoed through the trees as C Company’s UH-60 Black Hawk approached the landing zone. A crew chief threw the helicopter’s door open and rushed to meet the medical staff transporting a patient on a stretcher to the helicopter. Once two patients have been secured and the helicopter departed over the field’s treeline, the crowded erupted in applause.
The final stage showcased the drop-off of casualties and the care they would receive in a German hospital setting, a highly regarded place among many service members to receive medical care.
The members of the 3-10 General Support Aviation Battalion who were assisting with the demonstration, which ran for nearly a week just an hour outside of Berlin, said it was an excellent opportunity to learn about each other’s capabilities and practice procedures that may one day save someone’s life.
“We always talk about NATO partners and partnering up, and we’re actually getting to do that here,” Chief Warrant Officer 2 Joseph Torres, a UH-60 Black Hawk pilot with C Company, 3-10 General Support Aviation Battalion. “I think we need to get together more often, like we’re doing now, to get to know each other and learn what our capabilities are.”

• Date Taken: 03.29.2017
• Date Posted: 03.30.2017 10:21
• Story ID: 228592
• Location: BRUCK, BRANDENBURG, DE