944th, other medics teach Afghan Airmen patient care concepts

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Melissa B. White
  • 451st Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan --  Air Force medics introduced some of their patient care concepts to Afghan air force members Sept. 8 at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan.

For the first time, 451st Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facility Airmen oriented four Afghan Air Force Kandahar Air Wing Medical Group members to methods used to secure patients and load and move litters.

"I like knowing that we're able to pass something on to the Afghans," said Tech. Sgt. Jeff Neilsen, 451st EAES CASF medical technician, who is deployed here from the 944th Medical Squadron, Luke Air Force Base, Ariz. "Ultimately, this affects them, so the goal is for them to be able to move their patients in a more orderly fashion to ensure patient safety."

This orientation for patient movement is part of an overall eight-week course for four Afghan Air Force flight medics. The course is to familiarize them with the full spectrum of aeromedical evacuation, with this class focusing on CASF procedures, introducing the concept of patient care during the staging process in preparation for flight. CASF members care for and deliver patients from the Kandahar Role 3 Hospital to aircraft for aeromedical evacuation.

"This will help them tremendously," said Col. Bruce Nelson, 738th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group flight surgeon medical advisor, who has been working with the Afghans here. "They came here not having much knowledge about the CASF, but they have worked with litters before; we're just trying to get them to do it in a more orderly fashion and to reinforce and encourage them."

The Kandahar Air Wing currently has only four flight medics and three other medical professionals stationed at Kandahar Airfield, but is hoping to expand to having a medical force of 20 members in the future.

"Eventually we want them to set up their own CASF so they can move patients, and we want them to be able to do it efficiently," said Colonel Nelson, who is deployed here from Headquarters, 4th Air Force, March Air Reserve Base, Calif.

In addition to showing Afghans how to move patients, the 451st EAES CASF members also taught the same concepts to other military members on the base, but for a different reason.

"When we're short-staffed, sometimes we can really use the help with moving patients," said Senior Airman Nikkos Hamlett, 451st EAES CASF pharmacy technician. "Sometimes, when we see we have a huge load coming in, we give our volunteers a call for help, or sometimes they call us on their day off to see if we have anything coming in where we'll need the help."

These medics trained their second group of volunteer military members here Sept. 6, to bring the total for their team of volunteers to 25 people.

It is important for these CASF Airmen to operate smoothly and quickly as they support aeromedical evacuation missions six days a week with at least one mission per day. On these missions, the CASF Airmen can send out anywhere from two to 20 patients ranging in conditions from walking wounded to critical care patients.

"It's a big deal to make (patient movement) as quick as possible, because the quicker we transfer patients, the less likely we are to delay them in getting the care they need," said Sergeant Neilsen.

Sergeant Nielsen and Airman Hamlett, who both spearheaded the training and orientation for the Afghans, said they both enjoy being able to show others how to move patients and how to do it properly.

"It's really cool getting to do this because I don't get to do much of this training at home because I work in a pharmacy," said Airman Hamlett, who is deployed from the 6th Medical Support Squadron, MacDill AFB, Fla. "It's something different for me to do, and I'm glad there are people who want to learn."