KFOR RC-E Dustoff conducts hoist training

Photo By Staff Sgt. Amberlee Medina | U.S. Army Tennessee National Guard crew member with Kosovo Force Regional Command East Task Force Aviation Medical Evacuation, prepares a mannequin on a sked litter for extraction during a medical rescue and evacuation training April 18, 2020 near Camp Bondsteel. KFOR RC-E TF-AVN MedEvac conducts training regularly and has responded to several real-life calls throughout Kosovo since the start of their rotation. RC-E’s Aviation MedEvac unit is composed of highly trained U.S. Army Tennessee National Guard Soldiers who are always training to improve and refine their skills in support of the health force protection of all KFOR personnel and the people in Kosovo. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Shelby Yonkoski)  

CAMP BONDSTEEL, KOSOVO

04.18.2020

Courtesy Story

100th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

BONDSTEEL, Kosovo -- A Medical Evacuation crew with Kosovo Force Regional Command East trained on various hoist equipment and techniques April 18, 2020 on Camp Bondsteel.
RC-E’s Task Force Aviation MedEvac “Dustoff” unit is composed of U.S. Army Tennessee National Guard Soldiers from Detachment 1, Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion 135th General Support Aviation Battalion in support of the safety and welfare of all KFOR personnel and the people in Kosovo.
“I like what we do here,” said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Caleb McDonald, a Black Hawk pilot with TF-MedEvac. “We support all of Kosovo, not just RC-E.”
KFOR TF-MedEvac is responsible for responding to any medical emergency within their over 4,000 square mile area of operations and pride themselves with getting the bird in the air within nine minutes.
“We are always ready and waiting for the call to come in,” said Mcdonald.
The Kosovo region possesses impressive and contrasting landscapes, some of which is inaccessible via ground transport.
“The whole goal of the hoist training is to practice in inaccessible or confined landing zones and having to extract injured personnel,” said McDonald.
Soldiers within TF-MedEvac are no strangers to the region’s topography and expect the challenge it poses to their mission.
“The terrain is very similar to the one back home,” said Sgt. William Beaver, a flight paramedic. “We feel very well trained to operate in this environment.”
“We are required to do hoist training every 90 days to stay concurrent with Army standards but we do it more often than that,” said McDonald.
Aircraft crews continuously train for all scenarios to ensure they are ready and able to respond to any medical emergencies.
“Getting someone from the ground to the aircraft can be dangerous,” said Beaver. “Training allows me to refine my skills. We want to make sure that the knots are all good, the patient is secure so they don’t fall out and ensure the line is set right.”
The crews like to take advantage of the diverse terrain within Kosovo and will train all over the region to prepare for all kinds of scenarios, said McDonald.
The priority is the safety of the patient, said Beaver. The repetition of training helps mitigate risks.
Only three months into their rotation, TF-MedEvac has already received several calls and is prepared to execute more.
“It feels good to know we are trained and ready for the mission,” said Beaver.

• Date Taken: 04.18.2020
• Date Posted: 05.20.2020 04:52
• Story ID: 370299
• Location: CAMP BONDSTEEL, ZZ