WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio – The base has officially become the home to the 375th Operations Group, Detachment 4 (AMC), a formal training unit for aeromedical evacuation in-transit care on fixed wing aircraft.
Even though Det. 4 has been at Wright-Patt since 2012, the geographically-separated FTU was realigned from Headquarters Air Mobility Command to the 375th Operations Group at Scott AFB, Illinois, in February.
According to Det. 4 flight examiner Capt. Joshua Williams, support from Wright-Patt for their mission from the time they arrived has consistently been great and its impact is far reaching.
“When they support us, they are supporting the warfighter directly,” Williams said. “The students that we train here are going to be the ones who, in six months or eight months, are going to be down range flying the missions supporting the warfighter who is in harm’s way.”
Sharing some of the same facilities in Area B with the U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine, the unit incorporates AE support, deployment, humanitarian and global response training scenarios for their students. It is now the Air Force’s only location for this unique training serving Airmen assigned to one of 31 aeromedical evacuation squadrons.
The unit standardizes qualification training for all Reserve, guard, and active duty flight nurses and aeromedical evacuation technicians. In addition to providing initial qualification training, Det. 4 also provides initial flight instructor qualification for both disciplines.
“Most medical jobs are very similar; the big difference between us and medics at a hospital is that most of our care happens at 40,000 feet in the air using specialized equipment,” Williams said. “We are capable of providing any level of care from medical-surgical level to step down ICU care in the air.”
Det. 4 trains up to 32 students in per course here and 256 students–overall–per year.
The flight nurses are in charge of the medical aspect and the overall operational mission. They develop nursing care plans and direct the best course of action in the continuation of care. Coordinating with the pilot to safely integrate medical care to aircraft capabilities ensuring all patient needs are meet is integral to their job in the air.
AETs are responsible for everything that happens on the aircraft as well as providing outstanding patient care. They configure the plane, ensure safe ground operations, provide medical equipment/aircraft integration and coordinate with the FN to provide patient placement.
In order for these individuals to enter the aeromedical career field, they must submit a package and complete both the USAFSAM course and the initial qualification course at the FTU. At the school the students are given the aerospace medicine and physiology knowledge required for aeromedical evacuation. Once this phase is complete the student’s transition to the formal training unit, where they learn to combine clinical skills and knowledge with aircrew procedures and aircraft operational capabilities.
The FTU training starts with five academic training days covering essential Air Force instructions.
Students then receive three days of hands on training on C-17, C-130, and KC-135 aircraft.
Over the next ten days the students incorporate simulations where they piece together the knowledge they have learned in ten static training missions.
Once training is complete students move onto the evaluation phase where they are tested on the training they have received which includes an evaluation on an operational flight.
The 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs Office contributed to this article.