March C-17 aids Global Medic exercise

  • Published
  • By Maj. Michiko Riley
  • 4 CTCS Public Affairs
MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE, CALIF. --  "It's huge!" said U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Alison Wilcox after witnessing a March Air Reserve Base C-17 Globemaster III land on a dirt runway July 27 for the first time. "I can't imagine landing it!"

Sergeant Wilcox, along with 45 soldiers from the 372nd Minimal Care Detachment (MCD), was training at Fort Hunter-Liggett, Calif., with aeromedical evacuation teams to carry and secure litters on C-17 Globemaster III and C-130 Hercules aircraft. The MCD team was learning to operate a Mobile Aeromedical Staging Facility (MASF) during the U.S. Army Reserve's Global Medic field training exercise.

"Our main goal is to train the Army to be able to upload and transfer patients from a hospital to a U.S. Air Force aircraft," said Air Force Master Sgt. Paul Melkers, technician from 446th Air Evacuation Squadron, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. "We've had to take MCD personnel from not knowing anything about aeromedical evacuation, to having them understand the operational flow.
 
MASF is traditionally an Air Force mission capability comprised of flight nurses, aeromedical technicians, medical services staff and radio operators. The MASF serves as a holding area for patients awaiting airlift to higher levels.

Army medical units at Global Medic are training to provide the same rapid movement of patients out of the area of operation similar to the Air Force MASF. AE trainers are present to provide training assistance.

"Here you're being taught the technique on how to do it right," said Army Maj. Eve Spence, Commander, 372th MCD deployed to Global Medic. "I want to go back and make the changes recommended," said Spence.

Spence's 372nd MCD team is conducting training at the U.S. Army Combat Support Training Center in preparation for future deployments.

"There's lots of work to be done to get up to speed," said Spence. "The Soldiers that were taught new skills at the beginning of the field training exercise are now able to share their knowledge with others."

Placing an MCD in a role traditionally managed by the Air Force has proven difficult at times. An MCD for example, has twice the number of personnel than a MASF.

"I created a system that would work with the MASF set-up," said Major Spence. "Dividing the company into three to four teams maximizes training while handling the influx of patients."

March Air Reserve Base, along with aircraft from Travis and Charleston Air Force Bases, unloaded an arsenal of C-17 and C-130 sorties to help train Army medical staff to work with Air Mobility Command airframes.

"I really enjoy working with the Army," said Air Force Maj. Esther Aubert, AE trainer 446 AES. "They are very enthusiastic, very respective for what we have to teach them. We really learn a lot from them--as much as they learn from us."

Part of the MCD's mission is to work congruently with AE flight crews on and off duty. Not hard to do since AE and MCD crews shared barracks throughout the exercise.

"Army was great," said Air Force Lt. Col. Stacia Belyeu, 452 AES flight nurse. "It was a really good experience. We were billeted with the Army and a lot of times we got to hang out and socialize with them."

AE crews also benefited from Global Medic's consistent airflow.

"We had the opportunity to perform our duties and upload patients on a C-130 with the engines running on," said Colonel Belyeu. "Our primary aircraft at March Air Reserve Base is a C-17 so it was nice to come to Global Medic and train on a different aircraft."

The ascetic location, dusty winds and temperatures reaching 120-degrees Fahrenheit contributed to the training.

"This is a great location, it's very realistic," said Maj. Aubert. "When you get out in the system, it's just as hot and it's just as dirty. It's an austere landing strip just like what you would find downrange."

"Being in the forefront of a TDY and getting the area setup is new for us," said Colonel Belyeu. "I remember one Army nurse told me, 'You're not a nurse till the tents go up.' So it was definitely good for us to be here and work with the Army to get our tents set up."

Global Medic is an annual U.S. Army Reserve Command exercise replicating medical operations currently conducted in theater. Global Medic allows soldiers and airmen to train together for a medical field training exercise.

"I would sign up in a heartbeat to come back," said Sergeant Melkers. "It's exciting to know I will hopefully work with the Army next year."

"It would be good to do this again next year," said Major Spence. "It can only get better."