U.S. Aviation Medical True Level Exposure: The Real Life-and-Death Speed

the 12th issue of theAir ForceJournal published Amy McCullough's article: Life FlightThe article introduces the entire process by which the medical team of the 433rd Air Medical Evacuation Squadron of the U.SArmy has eliminated all difficulties and raced to save the woundedThe author believes that in this incident, on the one hand, the aviation medical evacuation team members good professionalism, on the other hand, highlighted the importance of communicationThis article reads: "Captain Adriana Valdez did not know thatthe lives of the Air Forceheroes were in her hands."Valdez, 35, a reservist from the 433rd Air Medical Evacuation Squadron at JBSA-Lachlan Air Force Base in Texas, was on a routine aviation medical evacuation mission in Afghanistan as head of a medical team when the C-130J transport plane, called "Band 33", was suddenly instructed to change course to Mazar-e-E- to a critically ill patient.However, because the talk time was so short and little was known about the patient's details, the on-board medical team really didn't know how to prepare."All we know is a gunshot wound, we don't know where the injury was or what the condition is, we don't know any details," he saidValdez saidThis is her first mission as a forward team leader.Mazari-Sharif is a German-controlled forward-line combat base in the northern province of Balkh, near the Border With Uzbekistan-TajikistanThe attending doctor who escorts patients to the plane in armoured ambulances is German, and he does not speak English, so it is almost impossible for the crew to get the information they need from him.Valdez's team included another aviation nurse and three medical technicians who did not know how big the U.SAir Force soldier's wounds were or his medical historyFour hours ago, when the paratroopers had saved him from the battlefield, they had done their best to bandage him"The bullet went into the air force soldier's right femur and shot out of his right hip," Valdez saidTo help him clean up his wounds, doctors operated on Mazar-i-Sharif, but doctors knew they needed more advanced medical equipment and better care if they wanted to save his leg and his life.The Air Force soldier was classified as a critical condition, "but he looked in a bad condition," Valdez said.As soon as the patient boarded the plane, the plane took off and the crew tried to contact the command and control center via satellite phoneThey wanted to send the patients directly to Bagram Air Force Base and continue their mission, but the satellite phone didn't get through that day.Because they are a team of five people for the most basic aviation medical evacuations, there are no doctors or medical professionals on boardThere are only the most basic drugs in their first aid kit, and they don't carry plasma.Communication failure Afghanistan is a dynamic environment, and the situation changes quickly, as they did that day, but "band 33" usually transports patients who are stable, Valdez saidIn fact, there were already four such patients on the plane at that time.The crew is able to provide oxygen and fluids to ensure that the patient is smooth and comfortable during the flight, but any additional treatment must first be approved by an aviation medical officerHowever, as the clock ticks, it is clear that conventional communication is no longer possible."We can't be a practicing physicianWe have to do it all by telephoneWe felt on that day why communication was so important," Valdez said.　　Thankfully, the C-130J transporter is equipped with a new state-of-the-art communication technology called Dynamic Mission Reassignment (Dynamic Remission, DRC).　　Major Ryan Thornton was serving in the 772nd Expeditionary Air Squadron at Kandahar Airport, captain, and was one of the pilots of the Bandage 33 transport plane He says the dynamic mission reassignment feature allows pilots to send messages to command and control centers, which function like text messages The terminal of the dynamic task reallocation function system is a mobile map display Your trajectory will be displayed above.　　"We just trained on it before we deployed ..... It really proved to be a good tool," Thornton said He was on his first mission on a C-130 transport aircraft, having previously flown KC-10 tankers Only the C-130 and C-17 transport aircraft are equipped with dynamic task reassignment function systems.　　It's "the only way to let the command and control center know that we have to go to Bagram Air Force Base," added Thornton, who is currently serving in the 41st Air Squadron at Little Rock Air Force Base in Arkansas.　　Thornton is able to connect with the Command and Control Center through dynamic mission reassignment, but communications remain a problem Their request to fly directly to Bagram Air Force Base was initially denied because documents showed that the wounded were in stable condition.　　However, as the aircraft took off, the injuries of the Air Force soldiers quickly began to deteriorate Another aviation nurse, Lieutenant Catherine Sprague, told Valdez to return to the back of the plane The wounded man's blood pressure was dropping, he was pale and short of breath.　　After observing the wounded's symptoms, Valdez returned to the cockpit and said to the pilot, "We need to fly directly to Bagram Air Force Base." We can't wait Do what you need to do - continuous calls - and you need to do this anyway, and we need to issue a flight accident statement because the wounded are dangerous A few months later, at the Air Force Association's Aerospace Conference in September, Air Force Chief of Staff Mark A Welh III praised the mission in his speech Wales praised all the airmen on the mission for being quick-thinking and hard-working, joking that Thornton was scared to death by Adriana He said she was "lawless."　　In an interview with Air Force Magazine in October, Thornton laughed and didn't refute the claim Thornton said Valdez's professionalism and "lawlessness" made it easier for pilots to do their jobs at the time.　　"She's obviously working in nursing outside the Air Force ..... She is a very impressive person I'm very lucky to work with her to help other Air Force personnel," Thornton said.　　Air-droppers work with pilots and are able to accurately describe the symptoms of the wounded, so the "band 33" transport plane can only get a green light after changing course.　　"We had enough horsepower on our way to Bagram Air Force Base," co-pilot Capt Eric Jone said at a news conference in Kandahar in April "I think it's the shortest way we're close to an ambulance You keep calling "emergency medical evacuations" on the radio and they give you the green light All the means of transport make way for you The flight time from Mazar-sharif to Bagram Air Base usually takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes "Band 33" flew through the entire course in 42 minutes.　　As the plane sped toward Bagram Air Force Base, Valdez returned to the patient, trying to figure out why his blood pressure had dropped and why his face was so pale When she pulled up his blanket to examine the wound, she realized that the accessories and stretchers had been soaked in blood.　　"Once we reach a certain altitude, the air pressure will have a negative effect on his wounds, " Valdez said "When we carried him on the plane, he had just finished the operation His wound did not heal Then, altitude contributed to the deterioration of his wounds "His legs also started to swell and lost his feelings," Valdez said.　　"I started to keep the pressure on the wound because I didn't know if the blood came from the arteries or veins or from the surgical wound You can't determine where you are, and you don't have the best resources," she said.