Crew aids in medical transfer

  • Published
  • By 6th Air Refueling Squadron
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  A recent Pacific cargo mission flown from Nov. 23 to Nov.29 by the 6th Air Refueling Squadron was re-tasked at short notice to move a critically-ill patient to Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii. The KC-10 Extender crew, led by Flight Lieutenant Jase Orr, Travis' British Exchange pilot, was tasked to fly from Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, to Andersen Air Base, Guam, to pick up a patient and transport him to Hickam. The patient had developed heart problems following surgery, and urgently needed the medical facilities available in Hawaii.

After rapidly re-planning and making the three hour flight, the crew and three medical support personnel from Kadena landed in Guam. As the aircraft was serviced and refueled, the flight crew prepared the aircraft systems and loaded a large amount of equipment that was required by the medical team. The patient arrived at the aircraft via ambulance and his stretcher was carefully loaded through the aircraft cargo door.

Due to the aircraft's configuration, the only way to get the patient onboard safely was to secure the stretcher to the floor. Some of the passenger seats had to be removed and five crew members volunteered to stay behind in Guam in order to create space for the patient, medical team and accompanying family.

The aircraft departed Guam after only three hours and 15 minutes on the ground. This is due to the highly experienced team of boom operators and onboard maintenance crew who were able to reconfigure the aircraft passenger compartment in a very short time. The boom operators also coordinated with the medical team to ensure the patient was as comfortable as possible.

During the flight, the patient was kept under close medical observation. At one point, the medical officer informed the crew that they should be prepared to assist in reviving the patient since his condition had deteriorated in flight. Flying at maximum speed over the Pacific Ocean, and with the patient sedated, the aircraft arrived at Hickam at about 1:30 a.m. after a 7 .5 hour flight. The landing was smooth.

A fleet of medical and support vehicles met the aircraft after landing, where the patient was offloaded through the cargo door and transported to the hospital by ambulance. After a maximum duty day, the mission was accomplished successfully thanks to a great team effort from the crew, the medical team and the great operations staff support at each base involved.

"It was a very rewarding mission with a patient onboard," said Staff Sgt. Rachel Wentland, 6th ARS boom operator. "It was a long day but everyone pulled together to make it happen."

"It's very unusual for a KC-10 to be tasked for an aeromedical evacuation mission, but knowing the importance of the task, everyone onboard was determined to make sure the patient got to his destination safely, as soon as possible," Orr said. "To go from an air refueling tanker to a cargo aircraft and then to a flying ambulance demonstrates the flexibility of the aircraft and all the airmen involved."