Service members assigned to Joint Task Force Southern
Border conducted an aeromedical evacuation after receiving a request to
assist a civilian who was experiencing a medical emergency while
supporting border barrier construction in a remote mountainous area of
southern Arizona, June 17.
This medevac highlights the unique military capabilities that Joint
Task Force Southern Border brings in support of U.S. Customs and Border
Protection as a part of Operation Ardent Vanguard.
The task force received the request in the early afternoon, when
officials reported that a civilian contractor required urgent medical
assistance while in a mountainous terrain inaccessible to conventional
emergency response vehicles.
The service members coordinated with CBP personnel and approved the
launch of a War Department medical evacuation aircraft. Initial reports
indicated that first responders were hiking to the patient's location
while working to determine an exact position.
"JTF-SB responded to this mission, preserving the life of the
civilian upon request of the CBP," said Army Master Sgt. Andrew
VanMeter, the chief medical noncommissioned officer for the task force.
VanMeter said that, although the remote location was inaccessible to
civilian aeromedical and ground teams, the Joint Task Force Southern
Border was uniquely qualified for the mission because of the patient's
remote location and the lack of landing zones.
The medical evacuation aircraft arrived on station, established
visual contact with personnel on the ground and then conducted hoist
operations. Aircrews successfully recovered the patient from the
mountainside and began transport toward definitive medical care.
During the flight, adverse weather conditions in Tucson, Arizona,
required adjustments to the patient transfer plan. The aircraft landed
at an alternate location, where the patient was transferred to civilian
emergency medical services for continued transportation to a local
hospital.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Christian Castillo, a flight medic assigned to
Foxtrot Company, 3rd Battalion, 501st Assault Helicopter Battalion, said
hoist rescues require a significantly different approach than
traditional medical evacuation operations.
"Unlike a standard medevac call, where we can land the aircraft, and I
can access all my gear, a hoist requires inserting with minimal
equipment," Castillo said. "Because of that limitation, my mindset
immediately shifts to executing the foundational knowledge of tactical
combat casualty care."
Castillo said successful hoist operations depend on extensive preparation before an emergency happens.
"Executing a 160-foot hoist mission requires a layered approach to
training, well before the actual mission occurs," he said. "It involves
consistently practicing hoist operations during routine training flights
and conducting integrated training with the ground forces."
The team also conducted a thorough analysis of the operational area
beforehand to anticipate the environmental and tactical conditions it
could encounter on scene.
The most unique aspect of this mission was the crew dynamic; this was
the first operational flight for the crew's junior pilot after
completing his training with the unit. As for the personnel in the back
of the aircraft, Castillo and Army Spc. Kierstann Knowles, the crew
chief, had previously executed a hoist rescue together. They said that
shared experience was critical.
The mission highlights Joint Task Force Southern Border's ability to
rapidly integrate with federal, state and local partners, its readiness,
aviation capabilities, and its commitment to preserving life and
enabling mission success along the southern border.
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