SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO -- Airlift and aeromedical crews from South Carolina and Maryland conducted mission readiness training here Feb. 20-22.
Reservists from the 315th Airlift Wing, Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, conducted C-17 mission readiness training and airlift support for aeromedical teams from the 459th Air Refueling Wing, JB Andrews, Maryland.
The training mission was a cost-effective means to accomplish currency items and
evaluations for flight crew members and provided C-17 familiarization and
proficiency training for aeromedical Airmen.
The C-17 Globemaster III plays a major role in the aeromedical arena of the U.S. Air Force, and this type of training allows the Air Force Reserve to maximize resources through collaboration between several Reserve units.
The fly-away mission allowed the 315th AW aircrews to get out on the road for an off-station trainer, and it allowed the aeromedical teams from the 459th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron and 459th Aeromedical Staging Squadron to get some experience on the C-17, which is something they don't often get to do.
Maj. Heather Menzies, 459th Operations Group Stan/Eval flight nurse, said she was eager to jump on the trainer.
"We are now universally qualified as aeromedical technicians," she said. "We can fly on the C-17, C-130 and the KC-135. We belong to a tanker unit and primarily fly on the 135 and have limited exposure to the 17 and 130 unless we are deployed. This mission gives us a hands-on opportunity to do our AE mission on a platform that we will most likely see when we are deployed."
Menzies went on to say how the C-17 is very aeromedical friendly because it has its own therapeutic oxygen system for patients on board the aircraft, and the electrical system is household current which allows the aeromedical team to simply plug in their equipment without the need for a frequency converter.
Lt. Col. Derek Bishop, 315th AW safety chief and aircraft commander for the mission, said the value of these types of missions can't be overstated.
"This mission is as close as you can get to real-world," he said. "It's just like flying in to Ramstein, [Air Base, Germany] showing up at the window and being told you are now an AE mission. It's not uncommon to have a non-C-17 crew assigned to the mission, and every opportunity we have to provide training for our AE crews will only work to improve the efficiency of our real-world AE missions."
Menzies said that about 95 percent of the aeromedical crew on the mission had never been on a C-17. She knew that success would come as they stayed focused on what they were trained to do - as well as working quickly to resolve any issues they encountered.
"Being able to learn a new aircraft in a couple of days can be a challenge, and our team was definitely up to the task at hand," she said. "Trying to get everything done for an on-time takeoff required us to learn quickly, stay flexible and do whatever it took to make it happen. The loadmasters from the 315th were a big help, and we all came together to make it happen."
Capt. Sarah Burton, 459th AES flight nurse, couldn't agree more.
"Utilizing other unit's assets, the 459th was given a great opportunity for hands-on training with airframes we may not be as familiar with such as the C-17," she said. "This training keeps us world-wide mission ready enabling us to bring our injured home where they belong."
To make the mission as real as possible, Bishop planned two low-level flights for Saturday's training. He said he wanted the aeromedical crew to feel what they might experience when flying in or out of a forward operating base on a live mission. The low-level flight pattern of banking and turning provided the team with a much different experience and platform from flying flat and level at 35,000 feet.
With some of the aeromedical Airmen scheduled to deploy in the near future, the training mission couldn't have been timelier. The three-day mission allowed aeromedical teammates to have their standard and no notice check rides signed off - ensuring their deployment readiness.
According to Bishop, the overall training mission was a success. He said it gave the 459th Airmen a good overview of the aircraft, and he is confident in their C-17 deployment abilities to get the mission off the ground and ensure its success.
Col. Jamie Fontanella, 315th AW commander, was one of the pilots on the mission, which was his last scheduled mission with the 315th as the outgoing commander.
Fontanella said that it's always a great opportunity to complete a lot of training and currency requirements in just a couple of short days with not a lot of expense to Air Force Reserve Command.
"Every opportunity our crews get to experience and work with aeromedical teams is valuable," said Fontanella. "AE is an important part of the 315th Airlift Wing's mission, and training like this keeps us ready when we need to do it real world."