MEDEVAC crew delivers from remote corner of Iraq

Photo By Sgt. Armando Monroig | Staff Sgt. Luis Sanchez, a MEDEVAC crew chief from Palm Bay, Fla., checks the rear rotor of his UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter Dec. 21, at Forward Operating Base Sykes near Tal Afar, Iraq. Sanchez, who?s assigned to Company C, 3rd Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment, from Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, was conducting pre-flight checks as part of his unit's normal morning maintenance routine.  

TAL AFAR, IRAQ

01.04.2002

Courtesy Story

5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment   

By Sgt. Armando Monroig
5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

TAL AFAR, Iraq -- For Soldiers injured in the remote areas of northwest Iraq, the country's expansive desert stands between medical attention and possible death.

Smaller towns like Rabiyah, Biaj and Al Nimr lie up to a two hours drive from the nearest medical facility in Mosul.

That's where medical evacuation aircrews come in. They are the rapid medical responders to injuries on the battlefield.

"We get from here to there and we keep people alive," said Staff Sgt. Ben Walker, a flight medic from Paris, Tenn., who belongs to Forward Support Medical Team Four, located at Forward Operating Base Sykes near Tal Afar.

Walker's team is formed by members of Company C, 3rd Battalion, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, from Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. The crew, which consists of a pilot, co-pilot, crew chief and flight medic, uses a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter to fly patients to Mosul's 399th Combat Support Hospital.

At least two of the MEDEVAC crews at FOB Sykes remain on standby around the clock. Helicopters are serviced each day to ensure each is ready for flight.

For more seriously injured patients, the first hour is the most critical and is known as the "golden hour," said Chief Warrant Officer Jordan Yard, the team's co-pilot. The patient has the best chances of survival if treated within an hour.

"We have to scramble," said Yard, who's from Ensino, Calif. "We grab our gear, get off the ground, and do it in an expedient but safe manner."

Walker said once they arrive at the pick-up point, patients are medically evaluated. In accordance with U.S. Army policy, the aircrews and the physicians who ultimately provide treatment for them don't discriminate between friend and foe, or Soldier and civilian.

Depending on the injury, life saving procedures may have to be conducted once the patient is on the aircraft and en route to a medical facility.

Most of the time, the injuries requiring treatment are relatively minor. Every now and then, the injuries are life threatening.

"Patients with head injuries wouldn't stand a chance without a MEDEVAC crew," said Staff Sgt. Paul Nelson, the assistant noncommissioned officer in charge of emergency medical treatment for the 399th CSH.

Yard said that when Walker has treated seriously injured patients, those situations have been hard to handle. He also said no one on board can afford for him to become distracted.

"I have to stay focused on my job," he said. "When I get there, if I don't have to look behind me – I don't. Those guys deal with some incredible things back there that I'm better off not knowing about it. The most important thing I can do for the effort is to stay focused, operate the equipment and get from point A to point B. That's my job."

Capt. Heath Holt, the team leader and pilot, said it's his job to make sure the team is ready to provide continuous MEDEVAC service throughout this desolate part of Iraq.

Doing so requires continuous preventative maintenance and staying tuned to weather reports. He also stays apprised of military activities, such as the use of artillery or other aviation assets in the area.

"We learn what the operational picture is so we know who's out there doing what. We try to stay 'in the know' with everything that's going on in the area that we cover," said Holt.

It's the job of helping to save lives that makes MEDEVAC crews invaluable to the Army and its Soldiers, he said.

"Right now, the Army is the only branch of service that has a dedicated air evacuation asset for its Soldiers," said Holt. "It's an asset every ground commander is going to want to have, especially the further away he is from a major medical facility."

Although Holt enjoys his job, no business is good business, he said.

"The day I don't have to fly at all is the perfect day in my book. Because that means nobody got hurt," said Holt. "It's a very rewarding mission at times. It's one of those jobs you love to do, but you hate to have to do it."

• Date Taken: 01.04.2002
• Date Posted: 01.04.2007 10:25
• Story ID: 8740
• Location: TAL AFAR, IQ