MIRGOROD AIR BASE, Ukraine – Nine times the force of gravity, 10 pounds feels like 90… pilots experience forces like this during every flight, and it is the responsibility of the Life Support team and medical staff assigned to SAFE SKIES 2011 to ensure these physiological effects don’t negatively affect the mission.
Two life support members and four medical staff personnel are participating in SAFE SKIES 2011, a joint U.S., Ukraine and Polish event where American Air National Guard pilots will fly engagements with Ukrainian Su-27, Mig-29s and Polish F-16s, developing the Ukraine and Polish Air Sovereignty operations in preparation for the EUROCup. This event is predicated on the California National Guard’s strong state partnership program with Ukraine. These teams have unique challenges while working with the Ukrainian Air Force, but these experiences have provided a great learning opportunity while they prepare Ukrainian pilots to fly with U.S. personnel, and provide preventative medical support to the Air National Guard members living in Ukraine for this event.
It all begins with taking care of the unit through preventative health training. “These airmen are in a foreign environment, and they need to be aware that there are unique pathogens that their bodies may not be accustomed to,” said Staff Sgt. Briza Guzman, a member of the California Air National Guard. “We inspect the food and take precautions to ensure everyone is healthy to continue the mission.”
In addition to a public health specialist, the bio-environmental technician ensures the members don’t suffer from heat exhaustion; and in the rare case medical assistance is needed, the unit works with the flight doctor to treat the members. “Heat and the environment provide the greatest opportunity for our members to need medical care,” said Lt. Col. (Dr.) Shahzad Jahromi, the flight surgeon assigned to the California Air National Guard. “I work with my team to include Staff Sgt. Glen Marte and Tech. Sgt. Eliza Villa; who ensure our team is healthy and ready to provide great training to the Ukraine Air Force members.”
The other aspect of Flight Medicine is to prepare the pilots for flight. The flight doctor will run the pilots through a flight physical to ensure they are prepared to fly. The same is true for the Ukraine pilots who participate in the pilot-exchange program.
“We run the Ukraine pilots through the same physical we use with our pilots,” said Jahromi. “We ensure they can handle the physiological strain, and then we send them over to life support to be sized for their equipment.”
“Once the pilots are cleared to fly, we work with them to make sure all their equipment is fitted specifically for them,” said Tech. Sgt. Kamee Wilson, a life support technician from the Alabama Air National Guard. “The Ukraine pilots wear all of the U.S. gear, from flight suits, to gloves, to the g-suit and harnesses; we need to ensure they are ready to fly in our jets.”
The life support team has worked with the Ukraine pilots who use similar gear for their pilots, and for the U.S. pilots who fly in their aircraft. “The primary difference in our equipment is the way it is tailored,” Wilson added. “We have a lot a of minor adjustments that need to be made to ensure a perfect fit, the Ukrainian gear seems a little more one-size fits all.”
When the pilot goes up to fly, all the equipment needs to be sized and worn correctly to prevent future visits to Flight medicine. All these precautions are necessary to ensure the SAFE SKIES 2011 mission in completed. The California National Guard state partners, Ukraine, are depending on our support to help them increase their proficiency in airspace defense, in preparation for the 2012 EUROCup.