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Kunsan hosts first exercise evacuation with Yokota aircraft

By Senior Airman Andrew Svoboda
8th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea -- A C-9 aircraft from Yokota Air Base, Japan, helped troops from the 8th Medical Group train on air-evacuating medical patients Wednesday.

This collaboration was the first time Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea members trained with an actual aircraft, which proved beneficial for everyone involved.

As the scenario went, individuals injured over the past 24 hours requiring medical attention not available at Kunsan were air evacuated to other medical facilities. The troops only simulated the transport, however the focus of the training centered around loading patients.

First Lt. Staci Karr, 8th Medical Group, was among about 20 Wolf Pack medical troops who helped transport patients from the clinic to the aircraft, then onto the plane.

"First we had to evaluate what patients had the most serious injuries," said Karr. "This helps us determine the order patients are loaded in the ambulance."

Once at the aircraft, the 20 medical personnel worked with the five-person aircrew to load the patients. For Karr, who stands about 5-foot-four- inches tall, this proved to be one of the toughest, but important parts of the training, as the troops loaded patients into litters standing about five and a half feet and stacked three high.

"We physically loaded the patients into litters," she said. "It was tough, but we worked with the aircrew to configure the patients and use the equipment available."

The training has taken place here before, however medical troops have had to simulate the aircraft in previous scenarios. Without the aircraft, it's nearly impossible know what aircraft will look like and how to maneuver within the confines of the aircraft.

In addition to training medical troops, the use of an actual C-9 aircraft required coordination from intelligence, weather and control tower personnel as it was marshaled in between F-16 launches.

Working with Yokota's aircraft was definitely a training experience Lt. Col. Cheryl Gregorio, 8th Medical Support Squadron, hopes to continue.

"We're working to get them back in April for the ORI," said Gregorio. "Eventually we'd like to coordinate reoccurring quarterly training." (PACAFNS)