Photo By Airman 1st Class Jennifer Nesbitt | A U.S. Air Force HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopter assigned to the 34th Weapons...... read more read more
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*Associated media is a courtesy photo for story
FORT HUACHUCA, Ariz. – On Thanksgiving Day, while many families were spending time together for the holiday, eating turkey and watching football, crew members and pilots from Task Force Falcon, and aviation unit in Joint Task Force-Southern Border, received a call to duty. A HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter spun its roaders along the Southwest border in the Big Bend Sector of Texas, to conduct a medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) of two civilians in need of urgent care.
Local EMS first reported an ATV rollover involving two people to Task Force Falcon’s operations center at 3:42 p.m. The task force then quickly prepared for launch, but locating the casualties presented challenges. The Big Bend area presents an unforgiving landscape of jagged mountains and deep canyons carved by the Rio Grande, making every mission demanding.
“Terrain association was definitely something that played a factor when I was locating the patients,” said Warrant Officer 1 Joshua Marsh, a Blackhawk pilot. “Doing a map recon en-route was crucial for us to identify where we need to be, would look like and knowing the terrain well in advance en-route was crucial for patient pickup.”
When the flight crew arrived on scene, an elderly woman and man were already being treated by local EMS and volunteers. Interveinal (IV) fluids already started on both patients, so the crew quickly loaded them into the Blackhawk and began the flight to the University Medical Center in El Paso, Texas.
“With the HH-60 Blackhawk MEDEVAC platform, we can carry up to six patients at a time, essentially setting up a little [intensive care unit] ICU in the back of the helicopter,” said Staff Sgt. Louie Surita, a flight medic with the 10th Mountain Combat Aviation Brigade. “A civilian helicopter can only take one patient because they have very limited space in the back of their helicopter.”
During the flight, two medics worked diligently to ensure both patients received proper care. They performed a secondary assessment to determine whether the patients sustained any broken bones or traumatic brain injuries.
“In flight, we administered some pain medication,” said Surita. “We went through our secondary assessment. And before we knew it, you know, we were in El Paso.” Upon arrival, the patients were transferred to the care of hospital staff. One patient sustained a few broken ribs but was able to recover and both were discharged within 24 hours.
This mission demonstrated the JTF-SB’s constant watch of the border and its aligned sectors. Moreover, on a national day of gratitude and thanks, their ability to adapt, respond, and deliver advanced medical care under challenging conditions.
For the HH-60 flight crew, it was not only a test of skill but also a defining experience of commitment to service and the unique military capabilities the military of the Joint Task Force–Southern Border.
| Date Taken: | 12.05.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 12.06.2025 16:33 |
| Story ID: | 553249 |
| Location: | BIG BEND, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 17 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, On Any Day: JTF-SB Medical Aircraft Evacuate Civilians on Thanksgiving, by SGT Timothy Jackson, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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