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MedEvac Now!

Photo By Darriel Swatts | Sgt. Jeremiah Moyers, Charlie Company 1-69th General Support Aviation Battalion,...... read more read more

CAMP BONDSTEEL, KOSOVO

06.17.2009

Story by Spc. Darriel Swatts

69th Public Affairs Detachment

CAMP BONDSTEEL, KOSOVO - A frantic call comes over the radio. "We have a vehicle rollover. Two Soldiers are injured. We need a MedEvac now!" Pilots on standby scramble to get themselves and their helicopter ready for liftoff. In less than ten minutes they are on their way to the scene of the crash and are ready to provide the best medical care they can.

This scenario has been run through hundreds of times by the Soldiers of Charlie Company, 1-169th General Support Aviation Battalion from Maryland. It is what they never want to happen but prepare for every day. Should a MedEvac (medical evacuation) request be radioed in, the GSAB, also known as the Misfits, will be able to respond in a moment's notice to any emergency in Kosovo.

"Our goal is that when a 9-line MedEvac request comes in, we will be taking off within ten minutes," said Capt. Teresa Parrotta, Charlie Company Commander.

When the Misfits are not responding to a medical emergency they train troops on how to use the MedEvac assets. Recently the Maryland National Guardsmen flew to the German base in Prizren/Poslishte, Kosovo, and taught some of the German KFOR contingent how to load and unload patients safely from a UH-60 Black Hawk.

"Once I got comfortable around the helicopter, it became easy to do what I needed to do," said Master Sgt. Andreas Witteborg, an operator in the Patient Evacuation Coordination Cell, German Army. "I am very glad that the Americans were able to come here and show us how to do this."

The German soldiers from Multi-National Task Force-South also got to learn about the Jungle Penetrator Hoist used to pick up patients off the ground or to lower a medic into an area where the helicopter cannot land. Once the soldiers knew enough about the hoist and learned how to use it, they got to go for a ride on it. The Black Hawk pilots hovered over the training area and lowered the hoist to give the German soldiers a firsthand experience on what it is like on the Jungle Penetrator.

"Of all of today's events, I have to say learning about and using the hoist was my favorite part of the day," said Cpt. Antje Mischkus, a doctor in the German Army. "I was scared at first, but I had a lot of fun. I got to do it by myself and then with another person."

The Soldiers from Charlie Company help sharpen the skills of others, but they must also be able to sharpen their own skills in order to keep the training they provide as safe as possible. The Misfits use the Terrain Flight Training Area, a low altitude aerial obstacle course, to hone all that they teach. The TFTA, is a flight area consisting of tree covered hills, small open valleys, and the occasional cliff, where the pilots fly to strengthen their skills.

"The TFTA is where we train in low level flight. When we fly low, it helps us keep current on our flight skills and abilities," said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Luciana Spencer, a Black Hawk pilot. "It helps us focus on distance, how fast we are going and our depth perception."

A unique added bonus to the TFTA is that it has two separate landing zones for hoist training. The pilots and crew chiefs can practice using the hoist, which is specific to the MedEvac Black Hawks.

"We're able to hoist our medics up and down, the pilots get to practice their hovering skills and the crew chiefs get added experience operating the hoist," said Spencer. "If we aren't able to practice our skills in the TFTA and keep our skills accurate, we wouldn't be able to comfortably do multi-national training events as safely as we would if we didn't do our own training in the TFTA." No matter what the medical aviation troops are doing, they are always prepared to handle whatever comes their way. Whether it is a training event with American or foreign Soldiers, honing their skills flying through the TFTA, or responding to a medical emergency, the Soldiers from Charlie Company, 1-169th General Support Aviation Battalion, are always ready to do what they have to do to accomplish the mission.