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Charleston Citizen Airmen help train Afghan medevac crews

  • Published
  • 455th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron

Airmen assigned to the 455th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron were selected to advise their Afghan aeromedical evacuation counterparts in Kabul, Afghanistan. 

The team, consisting of two AE instructor/evaluators, deployed from the 315th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron at Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, spent a week in Kabul recently where they observed current Ministry of Defense training and operational practices. More specifically, U.S. team members observed in-flight medical care and safety considerations with an emphasis on fine tuning existing operational and medical procedures.  In addition to their observations, the team made recommendations that incorporated ‘lessons learned’ from previous American AE teams. 

“We really didn’t know what we were about to get into or experience, but we were willing to offer any assistance we could to help the Afghan medevac guys better their programs and patient care capabilities,” said Master Sgt. Wesley Pinner, 455th EAES AE instructor/evaluator.

AE assets have been shown to increase wartime survival rates and have proven to be a critical link in the battlefield chain of survival.  Improvements in the Afghan AE programs are essential at a time when the Afghan military is taking on a larger role in the defense of their nation.  When a patient’s condition requires evacuation, AE teams must move the patient as quickly and as safely as possible in an effort to transfer the patient to a higher level of care.  Having fully trained AE assets to include individuals, airplanes, and equipment, closer to the front lines makes these assets more responsive to the patient’s needs.  This process is all about Afghan autonomy.

 The US is trying to assist the Afghan military with ongoing process improvement projects, with the goal of matching the success and capability that American AE teams realize today.  The Afghan AE program is still in its infancy; it takes a long time to grow a completely autonomous and effective air force. 

“This is the third time that I have been deployed to Afghanistan and the first time that I have been able to work hand and hand with our Afghan counterparts.  It was an extremely rewarding opportunity,” said Maj. Patrick Kennedy, 455th EAES AE instructor/evaluator.