Photo By Senior Airman Brenden Beezley | NATO Centre of Excellence for Military Medicine Medical Evaluation Course students and...... read more read more
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RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany – Airmen from the 86th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron configured a C-130H Hercules aircraft into a mission-ready aeromedical evacuation layout Nov. 20, enabling a NATO medical evaluation course to conduct its culminating mock assessment here.
The 86th AES, supported by a Critical Care Air Transport Team from Landstuhl Regional Medical Center and a field ambulance team from the U.S. Army’s 16th Sustainment Brigade, set the stage for the NATO Centre of Excellence for Military Medicine’s Medical Evaluation Course.
The MEDEVAL is a five-day course designed to develop certified medical evaluators who can assess Alliance medical units using standardized criteria. Throughout the week, students study how to evaluate personnel, equipment, documentation and procedural readiness across different medical modules. The training culminates in a mock evaluation, giving participants the opportunity to put their new skills into practice in a realistic, mission-focused environment.
For this iteration’s mock evaluation, the 86th AES set up the entire training scenario. Preparation began the day prior, when crews worked to transform the aircraft into a fully operational AE platform, installing litters, securing stanchions and completing the configuration required for a simulated high-capacity medical evacuation mission.
“Yesterday, we had the entire squadron out here loading 30 mannequins and setting the aircraft up from forward to aft,” said Maj. Amanda Peterson, 86th AES assistant director of operations. “Really, this is what we do every day, so it didn’t take much prep beyond the setup and making sure the crew understood NATO’s objectives for the evaluation.”
Throughout the mock evaluation, 86th AES Airmen walked students through their processes, explained patient movement procedures and answered questions about how they operate in a NATO environment.
The training provided an opportunity for the 86th AES crews to engage directly with medical personnel from across the Alliance. As conversations developed, AES personnel gained insight into how partner nations perform similar missions, strengthening their understanding of NATO standards and the practical realities of multinational operations.
“By the end of the day, everyone was having conversations and sharing experiences,” Peterson said. “Those relationships make it easier to work together on an aircraft and help build the foundation we need for future missions.”
Beyond building relationships, working alongside NATO students also gave the 86th AES an opportunity to reinforce the interoperability required for multinational medical operations.
“The biggest challenges usually come down to language and terminology,” Peterson said. “But once we talk through those differences, it becomes a great opportunity to exchange knowledge and understand how our partners approach the same mission sets.”
The event offered valuable insight into how partner nations meet common medical requirements and how NATO evaluators assess those capabilities. The opportunity to compare processes and exchange knowledge helped deepen the sense of collaboration across the Alliance.
“It’s rewarding to be at a point where I learned this job and now get to teach it to our partners,” said Staff Sgt. Joshua Hunter, 86th AES flight instructor. “Seeing how they work and sharing how we work helps all of us grow. We’re going to need each other down the line.”
The mock evaluation showcased the 86th AES’s ability to generate a realistic, high-fidelity training environment in support of NATO’s medical readiness efforts.
“Events like this not only help certify more evaluators, but also get everyone on the same page and align our expectations,” said Maj. Justin Stein, 86th Operations Group flight nurse evaluator. “Moving forward, we’re going to have to work together. We’ll need each other for whatever mission comes next.”
Through shared learning, hands-on collaboration and a commitment to interoperability, the 86th AES continues to reinforce its critical role within the Alliance and its readiness to operate seamlessly alongside NATO partners whenever called upon.
| Date Taken: | 11.20.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 11.21.2025 10:00 |
| Story ID: | 552031 |
| Location: | RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, RHEINLAND-PFALZ, DE |
| Web Views: | 32 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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