446th AES trains to save at Patriot Warrior

Photo By Staff Sgt. Daniel Liddicoet | Citizen Airmen with the 446th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., perform a patient on-load scenario during the Patriot Warrior exercise at Fort McCoy, Wis., June 21, 2015. Patriot Warrior is a joint exercise designed to demonstrate contingency deployment training ranging from bare base buildup to full operational capabilities. More than 6,000 members from the U.S. service branches and their Reserve components, including Air Force, Army, and Navy participated alongside British and Canadian forces. (U.S. Air Force Reserve photo by Senior Airman Daniel Liddicoet)  

FORT MCCOY, WI, UNITED STATES

06.24.2015

Courtesy Story

446th Airlift Wing (AFRC)

By Senior Airman Daniel Liddicoet
446th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

FORT MCCOY, Wis. - Citizen Airmen from Joint Base Lewis-McChord Field, Washington, participated on a multitude of levels during the two-week Patriot Warrior exercise here.

Reservists from the 446th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron participated in the largest portion of the exercise by undergoing extensive medical training. The 446th AES flight nurses and flying medical technicians honed their skills to help ensure no one gets left behind.

Patriot Warrior is an Air Force Reserve Command exercise designed to evaluate the capability to deploy, establish, and operate in support of joint field operations. Nearly 6,000 reserve component service members from Air Force, Army, and Navy support the exercise.

Both in the real world and in the exercise, the 446th AES crews fulfill a vital function to military operations.

"We deal with patient on-load and off-load, as well as patient care during their transport," explained Master Sgt. Gerino Avena, 446th AES medical administrator explained. "We receive patients from the field, and from there, our job is to make sure they receive the best care they can get while we transport them to a medical facility."

For many in the squadron, participating in a large scale readiness exercise, like Patriot Warrior was a new experience.

"It was really good for our younger troops to be out here and learning how to do the job in the field, versus (home station)," Avena said. "We all have a lot that we can gain from this."

Adapting to spontaneous conditions and learning to perform on short notice was critical throughout the exercise.

"Operating from the focal point of operations, crew management was very crucial," Avena said. "We had to account for crew rest, and rotating crews in and out depending on certain alert times. Times would change a lot, so we had to be able to adjust very quickly. The challenges we've experienced here have been mainly due to the shifting of times. We have had to rearrange priorities on the spot."

The challenges faced by the 446th AES medical crews have served to make them more cohesive and prepared as a unit.

"They throw scenarios at you to make you realize that if you made a mistake you have to be better," Avena said. "Luckily we get a chance to do so out here."

"The camaraderie we've built and being able to network with multiple career fields has been one of the best parts of being here," said Senior Airman Julie Mann, 446th AES Health Services manager.

Building a base of operations from the ground up was another unique and rewarding experience for the McChord team.

"We've had to set up from the ground level and turn a raw base into a fully functional air evacuation system," said Senior Master Sgt. Osmant Pyle, 446th AES superintendent. "Our guys have really done a fantastic job out here. I've been doing this for 10 years and there is nothing more satisfying than bringing someone who's been hurt out of the field, and that's what we're training to do."

• Date Taken: 06.24.2015
• Date Posted: 06.25.2015 17:51
• Story ID: 168203
• Location: FORT MCCOY, WI, US
• Hometown: BAGRAM AIR FIELD, AF
• Hometown: FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, WA, US
• Hometown: FORT MCCOY, WI, US
• Hometown: FORT MEADE, MD, US
• Hometown: HURLBURT FIELD, FL, US
• Hometown: JOINT BASE ANDREWS, MD, US
• Hometown: JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, WA, US
• Hometown: LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, TX, US
• Hometown: MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, FL, US
• Hometown: MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE, CA, US
• Hometown: NAVAL BASE KITSAP-BREMERTON, WA, US
• Hometown: PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, CO, US
• Hometown: PORTLAND AIR GUARD STATION, OR, US
• Hometown: ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, GA, US
• Hometown: SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, IL, US
• Hometown: SNOHOMISH, WA, US
• Hometown: TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, CA, US