KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- The 403rd Wing gains aeromedical evacuation squadron, which will become part of the wing during a ceremony Oct. 15, and the squadron is hiring.
The 36th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, relocating from Pope Field, N.C., will include 40 officers and 83 enlisted personnel. Five of those positions will be full-time Air Reserve Technicians.
“The relocation of this new squadron is great news and will be a perfect fit for the 403rd Wing,” said Col. Michael W. Manion, 403rd Wing Commander. “While aircrew and medical personnel have vastly different jobs, these personnel are able to simultaneously conduct valuable training on the same flight.”
Aeromedical evacuation is a significant part of our nation’s mobility resources, said Manion. These specialized teams include a medical crew director, flight nurse and three aeromedical evacuation technicians who routinely move critically ill or injured troops after they've been stabilized or received damage-control surgery.
The move to Keesler Air Force Base will allow the unit a continued ability for a deployment-tested and mission-ready Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron to transport wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines to the critical care they need, said Col. Thomas M. Hansen, 36th AES commander.
The Guard and Reserve conduct 88 percent of the AE mission, primarily using C-130s, C-17s and KC-135s. The 403rd Wing, an Air Force Reserve unit, has 10 C-130Js flown by the 815th Airlift Squadron “Flying Jennies” and 10 WC-130Js flown by the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron “Hurricane Hunters.”
The combined assets of weather, tactical airlift and aeromedical evacuation will allow for improved ability to respond to diverse needs in the most efficient manner available, said Hansen.
“While aircrew are flying their training missions, AE personnel can conduct their life-saving training in the back of the aircraft," said Maj. Rosalind Johnson, 36th AES assistant director of operations.
The Keesler Medical Center, the second-largest in the Air Force and operated by the 81st Medical Group, will also benefit from the AE mission, said Johnson. AE personnel frequently work with Critical Care Air Transport, or CCATT, and Tactical Critical Care Evacuation Teams, or TCCET, which are assigned here, she said. CCATTs consist of a doctor, intensive care nurse and respiratory therapist. This specialized medical team operates a portable intensive care unit. TCCETs consist of an emergency medicine or critical care physician, a nurse anesthetist, and emergency or critical care nurse who can provide emergency critical care in most rotary and fixed wing aircraft.
The 36th AES move to Keesler also opens up additional training opportunities for ground personnel assigned to areas such as medical administration, logistics, radio and communication as well as aerospace ground equipment. It will also allow a partnership with the 81st MDG.
“Keesler Air Force Base will be an excellent place for us to continue to train for our mission,” said Hansen. “The resources available are second to none. The support of the surrounding community and the desirability of the area will make recruiting and maintaining this unit an easy mission. We look forward to the official ceremony in October to complete the move and integration with the 403rd Wing and the Keesler community.”