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BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan -- Three critically injured
patients need immediate transfer to a medical facility
outside of Afghanistan. One has a shot to the head, the
other has missing limbs and the last has an open abdominal
wound. Without a mobile intensive care unit, these patients
will not make the flight out.
For members of the
455th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron Critical
Care Air Transport Team, this is go-time.
Members of the of the 455th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron assist patients on a C-17 Globemaster III medical transport flight out of Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, March 21, 2013. With help from the Critical Care Air Transport Team, the crew can turn a regular medical transport aircraft into a flying intensive care unit, making it possible to move severely injured or gravely ill servicemembers by air.
(U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Chris Willis)
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A CCATT crew consists of a physician, intensive care
nurse and a respiratory therapist. Together they can turn a
regular medical transport aircraft into a flying intensive
care unit, making it possible to move severely injured or
gravely ill service members by air to Landstuhl Regional
Medical Center in Germany.
Starting with the
aeromedical evacuation of the patients from forward
operating bases, to treating them at the Contingency
Aeromedical Staging Facility and then transporting them out
of the country through a C-17 Globemaster III “Reach”
mission to LRMC, moving patients throughout the area of
responsibility takes a working team with multiple parts.
At the Craig Joint Theater Hospital on Bagram Air Field,
the CCATT crew unplugs the patient from the hospital's power
and respiratory machines and into mobile units that are
positioned along with stretchers. Then with the help of the
hospital staff and the CASF crew, the patients are moved to
the flightline where an aircraft awaits, already configured
for their needs.
Once on the aircraft, each patient
is attached to the central air and power supply and prepared
for take-off. Since the majority of the CCATT's patients are
unconscious during the trip, great care is given to monitor
their vitals and wellbeing.
"We make a promise to
these men and women that no matter what happens, we will do
everything in our power to bring them home,” said Capt.
Mario Ramirez, CCATT physician. “Being a part of CCATT is a
great honor and allows me to help fulfill that mission.”
While other passengers are getting some rest, the CCATT
crew stays constantly on their feet observing the patients
and watching for any signs of immediate medical need.
“It's all about these guys and girls who put their life
on the line for us, the least we can do is give them the
most optimum care we can provide,” said Senior Airman Delton
McClary, CCATT respiratory therapist. “If we can get them
from Afghanistan to Germany with no problems and better than
when we received them, then we did our job.”
Every
CCATT mission has its own unique challenges and is different
than anything that exists in civilian medicine. They are
trained to be a medical, surgical and trauma multi-specialty
team, all in the back of an aircraft with limited resources.
“I work with an outstanding team, and together we are
able to give these troops the same level of care they would
get in America's best intensive care units," said Ramirez.
Pre-mission planning and good team communication is
vital to the execution of CCATT mission, the job cannot be
done by just one or two members of the team.
“We have
learned to trust each other,” said Capt. Suzanne Morris,
CCATT nurse, “During a mission there is a lot going on and
you have to rely on your teammates if you want to succeed.”
Flexibility is also very important when it comes to the
CCATT missions. They can be flying to an unexpected location
to pick up an unexpected patient, or flying a mercy mission
to reunite an injured servicemember with their families.
“Every mission has a particular place in my heart, some
with great endings...some not,” said McClary. “But even more
importantly, we get the patients to their family and that's
the feel-good part of my job that I love to do.”
Even
though the patients have a far longer journey to go for full
medical recovery, they are now out of Afghanistan and at a
higher level of care, thanks to the men and women of the
455th Air Expeditionary Wing.
More photos available below
By USAF Staff Sgt. Christopher Willis
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2013
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