Luke aeromedical team cares for wounded warriors at Ramstein

by Maj. Elizabeth Magnusson
944th Fighter Wing

9/2/2014 - RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany -- A six-member team from the 944th Aeromedical Staging Squadron from Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, recently spent their two week annual tour at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, transporting injured military members and deployed civilians to care facilities.

The Luke team worked with the doctors, nurses and medics at the 86th Airlift Wing Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facility who receive patients from the flightline and transport them to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center and vice versa. The Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facility team also cares for injured members while in transit at their facilities.

"Our major job is to transport patients and figure out the logistics of getting patients from point A to point B," said Lt. Col. Richard Valdez, 944th ASTS clinical nurse and team lead. "We move patients ranging from critical to minor injuries. We help with meds and dressing changes for those who need it and we coordinate the logistics for the next leg."

The team, consisting of two nurses and four medical technicians, integrated seamlessly into the CASF and helped transport 134 patients during nine missions.

Inbound missions from the deployed theater can happen at any time throughout the week and the CASF deployed staff work a panama shift to always be alert and prepared to handle such operations, while outbound missions happen twice a week.

There really isn't a typical day at the CASF in Ramstein but if there was one Maj. Christopher Bender, 86th CASF administrator, described it as associating it with the smell of cooking breakfast.

"On our outbound mission days [when patients are transported to their next care facilities] I always associate those mornings here at the CASF with the smell of cooked bacon, pancakes, and eggs being prepared for our Wounded Warriors' and staff," said Bender. "The art of a well-cooked breakfast to me really reinforces the care and compassion behind our mission. And it also shows how vital our volunteer services like the USO, Red Cross and the Wounded Warriors Program are to this mission. It sets the tone for that cross service family feel of everyone gathering around to break bread and share stories. It's not unusual to have all four services represented sitting around the USO lounge enjoying each other's company."

After breakfast the patients are loaded into a bus and transported to the flightline where they are transferred to an aircraft for the nine-hour flight to the United States. Bender described this time as "bitter sweet".

"Yes we are sad to see them go but it gives us all great pride knowing we were instrumental in getting them home safely from theater," he said.

The CASF has liaisons from the Army, Marine Corps, Reserves, National Guard, and coalition partner nations that help make it a truly joint endeavor.

"This was my first time to use my training in a real world setting," commented Staff Sgt. Cassandra Kavanaugh, 944th ASTS non-commissioned officer in charge. "It's been really amazing to see how all the forces work together but it has also been really eye opening for more me interacting with the patients."

Valdez also felt that the training and experience were all worth it.

"This AT [annual tour] was one of the best in my 19 years in the Reserves," commented Valdez. "It allowed our members, both enlisted and officers, the exposure of what our unit mission is all about. The active duty personnel were extremely accepting of us and provided many opportunities for both learning and hands on experience."

At the end of the day, everyone assigned to the CASF is instrumental in carrying out the mission and providing the needed manpower.

"From O-5's to E-2's we all chip in to get the mission completed," said Bender. "I'm constantly impressed with the vigor and enthusiasm each reserve rotation brings to the CASF. Each rotation is of course from different parts of the world and it's always fun to swap stories and similar experiences between our active and reserve members. It goes a long way to increasing the sense of camaraderie we all feel. The reservists play an integral role in the mission of the 86 CASF."

A sentiment shared by the CASF deployed officer in charge Lt. Col. Kathleen Brinker.

"I was impressed by their excitement and proactive attitude," said Brinker. "Each of them jumped in where needed and had an opportunity to see/do many different aspects of the mission. They were also a huge help as we were preparing a large outbound mission while at the same time we had an inbound mission arriving from down range. They stepped in and assisted with patient assessment, patient movement, baggage, etc. The folks from Luke were a pleasure to have at the 86th CASF."

"This is what we train to do, we go to the flightline and transport patients" said Valdez who is a nurse practitioner for an emergency medical and urgent care facility in Flagstaff, Arizona, when not on duty as a Reservist. "We can't get this experience back at Luke. Coming here keeps our senses sharp and allows us to put our training into practice."

The Ramstein CASF provides 24/7 operations support to all scheduled and unscheduled AE missions at Ramstein AB, including urgent and priority recoveries. They receive patients on the flight line from inbound aircraft from European Command and Central Command Area of Responsibilities, transport patients to either LRMC or Ramstein CASF, and then prepare patients for military or commercial flights to CONUS for definitive care. Finally they deliver patients to the flight line for military aircraft departures or arrange transportation to commercial airports for patients traveling via commercial air. As of January 2013 to present the CASF has moved 151,393 patients.