News From the Cause
Air Evac Shows Commitment to Wounded: (MILITARY.COM)
August 16, 2011
BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan – It is at once heartbreaking and uplifting; and it reveals the best of the US military while showing the worst and what they face.
Within the huge cargo bay of the C-17 Globemaster III the sick and wounded of the Afghanistan war sit in seats along the bulkhead or lay on litters bolted to the floor. Most of the servicemembers being evacuated on a recent morning flight could move on their own, but more than a half-dozen had to be carried aboard.
"This mission is very important," said Capt. Jennifer Lewis, who is deployed with the 10th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Flight. "These are people who volunteered their time for our country. They know what's going on in our war right now and they wanted to be a part of it no matter what it meant."
Whether they got hurt in a terrorist attack or fell ill, Lewis said, "it's very important to make sure they get the best treatment possible, and get them back to where they need to be to get good care."
The aeromedical evacuation flight out of Bagram is just part of the long journey home for the war's wounded and sick. For many the medical treatment that began at a forward operating base led to air evacuation by a C-130 Hercules, the venerable cargo carrier that may also be configured for medical transport.
These so-called "band-aid" runs go out several times a week from Bagram to forward operating bases. Then there are the unscheduled flights, made when the call comes in, at any time. These patients, along with those in the immediate Bagram area or those brought in via Air Force Search and Rescue helicopter or Army medevac, receive care at Craig Joint Theater Hospital. Click here to view more
