When a Soldier is wounded in the field, fast, reliable extraction is what is needed. The Army addressed that need by purchasing the American Eurocopter UH-72A Lakota as the next generation of medical evacuation (medevac) helicopters.

The first Army National Guard unit to take possession of the UH-72A was the 121st Medical Company (Air Ambulance), District of Columbia Army National Guard, stationed at Fort Belvoir, Va. The 121st has the duty of sharing responsibilities with the active Army’s 12th Aviation Battalion in support of the Washington, D.C., military district.

The 121st Medical Company moved through Army Support Activity-Dix enroute to its next mission – supporting the Joint Multinational Readiness Center and Joint Multinational Training Center at Grafenwoehr and Hohenfels, Germany.

Soldiers completed mobilization medical processing including dental, hearing, eyesight, immunizations, and a record screening at the Joint Readiness Center at ASA-Dix.

Personnel, equipment and helicopters were loaded on transport aircraft at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst for the next stop which was Germany to relieve Charlie Company, 1-214th Aviation Regiment. The active duty regiment is now moving into Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

The pilots and crews of the 121st will put the Lakotas through the paces, providing medical evacuation and care during training exercises in simulated wartime scenarios.

Fairfax, Va., resident, Maj. Mark Escherich, commander of the 121st, said the function of the UH-72As is to be a Department of Defense asset that assists homeland security and provides military support flights to civil authorities.

“Because we’re the first UH-72A medevac unit in the National Guard, we’re rapidly becoming subject matter experts on the Guard medevac mission for the aircraft,” he said.

“We are proud as a unit to be able to help prove the relevance of this airframe in the war fight. We won’t be involved directly in the fight but we are allowing brother and sister aviators to do their part. When we have returned I believe we will have proven the usefulness of the Lakotas, so we can take the load off the Black Hawk crews,” said Escherich.

Eight of the eleven pilots in the 121st are senior aviators with more than 1,000 hours logged flying Chinooks, Hueys and Black Hawks. Although they have some experience flying the Lakota since the delivery of the aircraft in early 2009, they will get the opportunity to hone their skills in a combat stressed environment while overseas.

“This will be a year of capturing lessons learned in the field,” Escherich said.

The Lakota, which is built in Columbus, Miss., is a military version of Eurocopter’s twin-turbine EC-145. It is a light helicopter designed to move quickly and land and take off on a much smaller footprint than the Huey or Black Hawk.

The Soldiers of the 121st are challenged with providing fast, reliable medical extraction and care for the sons and daughters of America and now they have an aircraft that raises the ante in their favor.

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