Air Forces Southern hosts aeromedical symposium

Photo By Tech. Sgt. Heather Salazar | Pararescuemen from the 48th Rescue Squadron at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., demonstrate casualty care to dozens of military medical professionals from Latin American nations Aug. 28, 2014. Air Forces Southern hosted the Aerospace Medicine Symposium as a multinational key leader engagement designed to strengthen aerospace medicine departments in priority Central American countries by leveraging the knowledge and leadership of South American partner nations with the U.S. Air Force serving as a facilitator. This event builds upon previous engagements with partner nation countries and allows a maturation of their aerospace medicine doctrine, policy, program and operational medicine capacity. The aerospace medicine professionals have prior experience or are currently responsible for proving direct care to pilots, aircrew, or with moving patients through an aeromedical platform. In attendance were representatives from our partner nations Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Colombia, Peru, Chile, Uruguay, and Brazil. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Heather R. Redman/Released)  

TUCSON, AZ, UNITED STATES

08.28.2014

Courtesy Story

12th Air Force (Air Forces Southern)

TUCSON, Ariz. - Forty physicians from 10 Latin American nations spent this week at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson increasing their expertise in the areas of emergency and medical practices as part of a regional symposium hosted by Davis-Monthan's Air Forces Southern, the air component for U.S. Southern Command.

The goals of the symposium were to increase knowledge in critical areas of aerospace medicine and to develop policies to establish effective patient movement capabilities.

This event builds upon previous engagements with partner nation countries and allows a maturation of their aerospace medicine doctrine, policy, program and operational medicine capacity. The aerospace medicine professionals have prior experience or are currently responsible for proving direct care to pilots, aircrew, or with moving patients through an aeromedical platform. In attendance were representatives from our partner nations Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Colombia, Peru, Chile, Uruguay, and Brazil.

Aside from information-sharing and briefings about clinical and capacity-building concerns, the visiting physicians were also able to speak with and witness U.S. Air Force pararescue medical professionals conducting patient movements from helicopters to other aircraft in order to evacuate wounded from war zones or other challenging locations.

All are skills which these 40 physicians will be able to take back to their respective countries to enhance how their militaries conduct similar operations.

Air Forces Southern, also known as 12th Air Force, is headquartered on Davis-Monthan. They conduct Air Force operations, exercises and training events with partner-nation airmen in the Caribbean, and Central and South America.

• Date Taken: 08.28.2014
• Date Posted: 08.28.2014 19:40
• Story ID: 140763
• Location: TUCSON, AZ, US