Aeromedical Evacuators Find J-model Improves Patient Care

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. James B. Pritchett
  • 403rd Wing
LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas-- --  Aeromedical Evacuation Teams provide a lifeline to critical care for sick and injured troops in the Southwest Asia Area of Operations as well as contingencies and humanitarian efforts around the world. 

These dedicated medical professionals, with the ability to turn any cargo aircraft in the Air Force inventory into an air ambulance, fly into the remotest of places to answer the most urgent calls for medical care while transporting patients hundreds or thousands of miles to a brick and mortar hospital. 

Any advantage these teams can find that helps them improve the level of care they provide to their patients is something they add to their toolbox and share with other aeroevac teams. During an exercise in March, Citizen Airmen from the 433rd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, of the 433rd Airlift Wing here teamed with a Reserve C-130J crew from the 403rd Wing at Keesler AFB, Miss. The Air Force's newest airlifter earns high marks for this kind of mission, according to veteran team members. 

"Flying on the C-130J is much different than flying the older model Hercules," said Maj. Michael Rice, flight nurse, 433rd AES. "From a patient-care perspective it is far superior to the legacy aircraft. It allows us to provide better care and helps to minimize some of the stresses of flight." 

Flown by the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, the WC-130J used by the 433rd for this mission, is the standard-sized version of the J-model, which is equipped with two pallets of weather recon gear when performing its normal mission of hurricane and tropical storm surveillance. 

The weather pallets are the only additions to the aircraft for the storm mission as the C-130 is well suited for flying in adverse conditions. This is one reason it is also a favorite of AE teams. 

AES crews consist of five people, two nurses and three medical technicians. An aeromedical evacuation team usually consists of a medical crew director, a flight nurse, a charge medical technician and two aeromedical evacuation technicians. 

Before heading out to the aircraft the team gathered at a small warehouse where all their equipment is stored and maintained. As with any flight, they preformed vital preflight checks on their equipment. Each person following checklists of tasks to complete to ensure each item is operational. 

Quickly and with a purpose the team worked together, testing and loading hundreds of pounds of equipment. 

Master Sgt. John Clauss, NCOIC, medical operations, helped Tech. Sgt. Lisa Perales, aerospace medical technician, coil and load several long electrical cords and connectors into a container while Tech. Sgt. Mark Juarez, chief aeromedical evacuation technician, checked and calibrated a multipurpose machine which serves as a defibrillator and can also perform electrocardiograms. Using electronic leads attched to a patient's chest electrocardiograms are used to monitor cardiac activity. The defibrillator is used in conjunction with the electrocardiogram, which the crew uses to diagnose a cardiac condition. The care-giver will then decide what charge (voltage) to use, based on prior knowledge and experience, and will deliver the shock through paddles or pads on the patient's chest. 

Together they load all the gear onto trucks and transport it to the flightline. Teams bring along everything they will need in the air including oxygen tanks, sophisticated monitoring equipment and on this trip their "patients." For purposes of the exercise, the team used life-sized, and lifelike medical mannquins, to practice their skills. Once they moved ther equipment onboard and setup the stantions used to hold the litters, the team was ready to bring their charges into the aircraft. 

The J-model offers AE teams a unique advantage in the field; while conducting an engines-running onload or offload, aircrew have the ability to put the engines into a state called "hotel mode" which greatly decreases the amount of debris generated by the props. Other improvements in the J-model allow the aircraft to climb higher and faster improving efficiency of the engines and allowing a longer range. 

"We love the J-model," said Tech. Sgt. Mary Killingsworth, chief aeromedical evacuation technician. "It's much quieter than the older C-130s and the cargo area is much easier to set up. The "stretch" J-models [C-130J-30] are even better because of the extra space and the additional stantion in the back." 

Cargo handling in the new C-130 is another area that gained improved equipment in the latest version of the venerable airlifter. The standard J-model can support 74 litters while the C-130J-30 can support up to 97. Pallet loading improvements include reversible floor panels with the rollers built in and configuration of the area for multiple mission types led engineers to come up with ways to reduce the amount of hardware stowed on the sides of the fuselage or secured to the floor. 

"With the C-130J, we can load up our equipment, load up our patients and get into the air a lot more quickly than in the past," said Maj. Gerry Martinez, flight nurse. 

"Besides the ability to quickly configure the cargo area and load up litters, we can transport a greater number of ambulatory patients," noted Major Rice. 

Major Rice, who has been flying since the C-130B was still in the inventory, said patient care is what is most important. His team is focused on making sure sick and injured troops have the best possible care while enroute from one treatment center to the next. 

"There are five stresses of flight," he said, "and the J-model makes improvements in at least four of those. Noise, vibration, humidity and temperature can all contribute to a patient's condition in flight. The C-130J has proven much better at reducing the negative impacts of these factors."