Medical students receive hands-on training at Golden Medic

Published June 13, 2007
By Tech. Sgt. Jeffrey S. Williams
Golden Medic Public Affairs

AUGUSTA, GA -- Students at the Golden Medic 2007 exercise Tuesday in Augusta, Ga., had a first-hand look at configuring a KC-135 aerial refueling aircraft for medical evacuation, not just by participating in classroom lectures or watching their instructors. They did it themselves.

For most of the nearly 80 students, this was the first exposure in using the patient loading system designed for the KC-135 and KC-10 airframes. With their fellow student securely strapped on, students carried "litters" onto and off the aircraft, closely following the aircrew's instructions. The plane and crew were from the 916th Air Refueling Squadron from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C.

"This was a chance to familiarize ground and aerovac personnel on the PLS system," said Lt. Col. Tom Hansen, 446th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron observer controller, McChord Air Force Base, Wash. "The KC-135 is used for this training, but the C-17 and C-130 aircraft are the most frequent aircraft deployed for aeromedical evacuations."

"This gives the students a chance to do this without having the additional pressures of being in a combat environment. It gives them a chance to become familiar with loading the aircraft and overcoming such challenges as space limitations and understand the commands from the flight crew," he said.

Despite being a former crew chief on C-141, C-17 and C-5 airframes, working with the KC-135 was a new experience for Master Sgt. Scott Hillis, 932nd Aeromedical Staging Squadron clinical training noncommissioned officer in charge, Scott Air Force Base, Ill., a first-time attendee at Golden Medic.

"It seemed awkward," Sergeant Hillis referred to the steep incline of the PLS and the aircraft's space limitations. "If we get a 200-pound patient on a litter, it's going to be difficult getting the patient up there."

For Capt. Charlene Velasco, 452nd Aeromedical Staging Squadron nurse, March Air Reserve Base, Calif., the hands-on experience served as a good refresher.

"The other time I did this, we had to figure out what we were doing with minimal instruction," she said. "This time, it was helpful to have immediate feedback from the instructors."

Instructors from the 381st Training Squadron, Sheppard AFB, Texas, are on the ground here, able to assist students with the hands-on training they normally wouldn't get with static aircraft or in the classroom.

"With the retirement of the C-141 and the C-9, the Air Force had to search for airframes in order to move the wounded and perform the mission," said Tech. Sgt. Brian Westington, aeromedical evacuation contingency operations training instructor, 381st Training Squadron. "They tasked the KC-135 Stratotanker refueler and made the necessary modifications to load patients on and off the aircraft. That's what we've been training."

"Golden Medic helps pull together all of the units that would be deployed with each other in a combat environment. It actually makes the students interact with them on a real-time basis instead of we instructors at their formal course portraying those roles," he said.

Even with the help of instructors and students who have been around the deployed environment a time or two, the KC-135 PLS experience can get a little unnerving.

"Everyone here seemed a little bit uneasy this morning," Colonel Hansen, now in his third Golden Medic exercise, observed of the students' positive attitudes and enthusiasm. "They wanted to get it right. From what we've been seeing, the students have performed well."