Task Force Viper medics answer the call

Courtesy Photo | U.S. Army Sgt. Pedro Lopez, from Cayey, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Army Sgt. Evelia Rodriguez, from Bakersfield, Calif., both with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Task Force Viper, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, TF Falcon, perform an assessment of a patient during medevac training exercises in a Black Hawk helicopter Sept. 7, at FOB Salerno. (Photo by U.S. Army Capt. Troy Akers, Task Force Viper, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, Task Force Falcon)  

FORWARD OPERATING BASE SALERNO, AFGHANISTAN

09.19.2010

Courtesy Story

Combined Joint Task Force 101

By U.S. Army Capt. Troy W. Akers

FORWARD OPERATING BASE SALERNO, Afghanistan – Combat medics around the Army work diligently caring for their fellow soldiers, coalition forces and even foes, actions which are in keeping with the finest traditions of military service. A group of medics with Task Force Viper, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, TF Falcon, have answered the call to take care of patients, not only on the ground, but also in the air.

“Our medics perform daily operations at the aid station and fly as flight medics, picking up patients on point-of-injury missions,” said U.S. Army Capt. Tina Koile, an aeromedical physician assistant with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, TF Viper, from Chicago. “They also help us run our trauma bed at the [combat surgical hospital], by identifying injuries, starting IVs and doing trauma care on critically injured patients. This takes an extensive amount of training and is a lot of extra responsibility. They are exceptional.”

In early April, it was identified that TF Vipers’ medevac unit, Company C, 2/104th, Witch Doctor DUSTOFF, only had four flight medics attached to their unit and would benefit from additional medical support. U.S. Army Sgts. Pedro Lopez and Evelia Rodriguez, both medics with TF Viper, answered the call and offered their help. Now, as almost fully progressed crewmembers, Lopez and Rodriguez regularly augment the flight schedule, flying as secondary medics on many point-of-injury missions.

“Working with medevac is exciting but challenging,” said Rodriguez, HHC, TF Viper, from Bakersfield, Calif. “I had to get over my motion sickness and get used to flying in general. The medevac unit personnel are wonderful and have helped with my progression as a crewmember. It’s taken a lot of hard work, but medevac is a nice change to the clinical setting that I’m used to.”

As part of the Forward Operating Base Salerno trauma team, Lopez and Rodriguez, work with TF Viper medics, U.S. Army Spcs. John Reed, from Austin, Texas, Brittany Simon, from Orlando, Fla., and Kenneth Wright, from Goldsboro, N.C., all with HHC, TF Viper, participating in the evaluation, resuscitation and stabilization of more than 100 wounded soldiers, coalition forces and local national civilians. They have a command of Advanced Trauma Life Support principles, which required them to spend countless hours training both in the formal setting and on their own.

Reed, Simon and Wright also provided medical support while flying more than 30 medevac and deliberate operations missions. These feats were all accomplished while maintaining the medical operations of TF Viper, ensuring the care for more than 500 aviators and aviation support personnel doesn’t suffer.

“Providing both ground and air medical support takes a lot of training,” said Lopez, from Cayey, Puerto Rico. “While the basics are the same, when taking care of a patient in the clinic or in the CSH we usually have all the medical supplies we need, and there are extra medics to help. When we’re in the air, a lot of times you have to take care of multiple patients by yourself and have limited supplies. Our training ensures we’re able to improvise when needed so we can give the patient the best care possible. Making a difference in the life or death of a patient is both humbling and extremely rewarding. I love my job.”

• Date Taken: 09.19.2010
• Date Posted: 09.19.2010 15:21
• Story ID: 56589
• Location: FORWARD OPERATING BASE SALERNO, AF