Caldwell Air Medevacs Responding to FOB Cobra Soldier in need

KIRKUSH, IRAQ

05.18.2005

Courtesy Story

DVIDS Hub       

Story and photos by Staff Sgt. Timothy B. Lawn
Scimitar Staff

FORWARD OPERATING BASE CALDWELL, DIYALA, Iraq -- Troops of the operations office scrambled to action as aviation Soldiers of the 54th Medical Company, Air Ambulance, out of Fort Lewis, Wash., scrambled to respond to an urgent nine-line medical evacuation request.

Chief Warrant Officer Eric Bray, pilot of Brewmaster 07, grabbed his gear and ran to the flight line. Bray was heading out to get the UH-60 ready. "During a medical evacuation (commonly referred to as a 9-line) I run out to the aircraft and prepare it for departure" said Bray.

Pilot-in-Command of the medical evacuation, Chief Warrant Officer Rodney Merrill, was right behind him.

At forward operating base Cobra, a Soldier had a seizure, passed out and suffered head trauma. As Brewmaster 07 was inbound to Cobra, the medic, SGT. Joseph Renteria from Yakima, Wash., was preparing the materials needed to stabilize the Soldier until they transferred him to a medical facility.

The helicopter flew low and to the nape of the earth. A Humvee field ambulance waited and several Soldiers rushed out to guide Brewmaster 07 to the landing zone.

Renteria and SPC. Joseph Losee, of San Jacinto, Calif., jumped out and rushed over to the Soldiers and ambulance. Renteria discussed the patient's status. On the count of three, the Soldiers picked up the litter patient and rushed to the side of the helicopter, placing him inside.

"I had to hook the patient up to a Pro Pack Monitor to check his heart rate and run an electrocardiogram because his pulse was running high and was abnormal," said Renteria.

"A normal heart rate is 60 to 80 beats a minute; his was 150. I put some pressure infusers on him and gave him some Valium to ease the seizures."

Medical staff of the 332nd combat support hospital, at FOB Anaconda were waiting. They rushed to the side of helicopter and off-loaded the patient, escorting him safely into the medical facility.

Renteria quickly informed medical staff of the patient's condition and medications he had given him.

Brewmaster 07 then lifted off and returned to FOB Caldwell arriving just more than two hours after its crew received the medevac request. As the crew shut the helicopter down, they restocked life-saving oxygen and medical supplies they had used.

"It's a team effort," said Merrill. The focus is getting the aircraft to the patient and the patient to the medical facility. The medic's job is to stabilize the patient en route, Merrill said. Renteria nodded in agreement and added that the Soldier should be OK.

• Date Taken: 05.18.2005
• Date Posted: 05.18.2005 13:07
• Story ID: 1865
• Location: KIRKUSH, IQ