Flying medics provide humanitarian relief

by Staff Sgt. David Dobrydney
455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

5/31/2013 - BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- It had all the appearances of being a routine 'bandage' mission for the 455th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron as it landed at Camp Bastion May 27.

A regular part of the missions flown by the 455th EAES, 'bandage' missions transport servicemembers to facilities that can provide treatment beyond that available at more austere locations.

However, waiting for the five-person crew wasn't the expected wounded warrior, but a seven-year old Afghan boy who had suffered third-degree burns on his arm and needed transport to a hospital with more advanced equipment.

"This child had been injured by a flare ... and was placed on our mission as a humanitarian [patient]," said Tech Sgt. Abraham Lowden, 455th EAES medical technician, deployed here from the Channel Islands Air National Guard.

Such humanitarian missions are uncommon, but not unknown to the 455th EAES Airmen.

"It does happen fairly regularly," said Lowden, who added that such cases help demonstrate to the Afghan people that the Americans are there to help.

The child was accompanied by his mother and father, neither of whom spoke English. However, the boy already recognized the medical equipment the Airmen were using.

"The patient had already been in the medical system for a period of time," Lowden, a native of San Jacinto, Calif., said. "So he saw a blood pressure cuff, he knew what it was. You show up to take vitals, he already knows what to do."

An interpreter was present when the child first boarded the aircraft to facilitate communication with the crew. However, the interpreter had to remain at Camp Bastion, so for the 30 minutes the boy was in the care of the Airmen, more creative methods of communicating were necessary.

"We have certain tools we can use," said Capt. Andrea Essig, 455th EAES flight nurse, who described one such implement, similar to a pointy-talky, that consisted of a series of facial expressions.

"If there were a problem the boy could point to the face to show if he's hurting somewhere," she said.

Beyond the humanitarian impact, Essig, also deployed from the Channel Islands ANG, said treating the boy served a practical purpose as well.

"It's always good refresher training for us to go through some things in our mind of what we may encounter [with pediatric patients]," said the Ventura, Calif., native. "We want to take extra special care."