AFSOC CASEVAC: training for "Care under fire"

Published Aug. 18, 2010
By Senior Airman Ryan Whitney
1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- The Air Force Special Operations Command Casualty Evacuation course recently graduated five Airmen and one Navy physician from the quarterly course conducted by the Tactical Operations Medical Skills Lab, part of the Special Operations Forces Medical Element, Aug. 13, at Hurlburt Field, Fla.

The two week course, which trains special operations medical forces to retrieve, treat and transport wounded servicemembers through any means possible, places students in stressful situations to help them apply their skill sets in locations they aren't familiar with, for instance, the back of a C-130 during low level flight.

"The ultimate goal is for these students to be able to provide advanced trauma life support in a harsh, hostile environment," said John Frentress, AFSOC CASEVAC instructor. "We aren't necessarily teaching them new skills; they are already medical professionals. What we are doing is expanding their expertise to be utilized in austere and dangerous conditions and increase the level of care they are able to provide to their patients."

During the course, a strong emphasis is placed on the use of TCCC, or tactical combat casualty care, and how it relates to CASEVAC, working and integrating with aircrew and various air assets, and applying advanced trauma life support during transportation.

To better familiarize the students with air assets and the challenges associated with the treating patients of patients onboard, a simulated CASEVAC mission was flown on an MC-130 assigned to the 6th Special Operations Squadron.

During this mission, students were given a few minutes before the flight to prepare the MC-130 to accommodate patients. Anything not accomplished during this time had to be completed after takeoff while en route to pick up patients.

After picking up the simulated patients, comprised of volunteers from across the base, the medical teams were tasked with locating, assessing and treating the patients injuries based on the vital signs provided from the course instructors.

If this task didn't seem daunting enough, it was done wearing full armor and protective equipment while the aircraft performed nausea-inducing evasive maneuvers 300 feet off the ground for nearly 45 minutes.

"This training was my first experience in performing patient care out of a hospital, so it really removed me from my comfort bubble and challenged me in a way I'm not used to," said Capt. Olivia Jackson, registered nurse and CASEVAC student from Travis Air Force Base, Calif. "You really have to be able to think outside the box and use the resources around you to the best of your ability to take care of your patient."

Though usually reserved for special operations medical members, this class consisted of two AMC medical members who will be applying what they learned in conducting training for a new deployment code the command is constructing to better prepare their medical forces for this unique mission.

"The new unit type code we are building in AMC is going to be used to move critical care patients, and we want to make sure the echelon of care that patients receive will remain at the highest available level, even during transportation," said Tech. Sgt. Jeremy Clyde, paramedic and CASEVAC student from Travis AFB. "This course helped me understand that in unregulated patient movement, you have to be flexible, and be able to change up how you operate at a moments notice."

Unregulated patient movement consists of using all means and resources available to transport patients to safety from the point of injury, while under constant threat.

"This training provided me the ability to hone a set of skills that, as a physician, I would not usually utilize," Navy Lt. Seth Fischman, Naval Air Station Key West physician. "But the scenarios that the TOMS Lab presented us provided a unique experience that I think will be invaluable in a hazardous environment."