Airmen keep soldiers, Marines in the fight

  • Published
  • By Capt. Christopher Moore
  • 386th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  Editor's Note: Col. Jackson Dobbins, currently the 386th Expeditionary Medical Group commander, is deployed from Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass. At Hanscom, Colonel Dobbins serves as the 66th Medical Group commander.

Army Sgt. Scott Boomershire injured his ankle kicking down doors in Iraq.

However, it's up to Airmen here, stationed hundreds of miles from the infantryman's unit in Baghdad, to help Sergeant Boomershire get the medical care he needs to put him back in the fight.

Members of the 386th Expeditionary Medical Group's Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facility team are charged with preparing injured servicemembers for transport to medical facilities around the world.

"If we receive someone who looks like they can be treated in the area, we'll make sure they are cleared for travel and send them to a regional medical facility for treatment and return to duty," said 1st Lt. Elizabeth Quinn-Wilber, a CASF nurse deployed from Travis Air Force Base, Calif. "If medical conditions are too severe, we'll prepare the individual for flight aboard one of our C-130s and they'll be flown to Ramstein Air Base, Germany, for advanced care."

The CASF receives patients via C-130 from bases throughout the region or via ambulance from nearby military bases. Once patients arrive, CASF staff makes sure their vitals are within normal limits, changes dressings if necessary and prepares the servicemembers for their next journey.

"Most patients we receive are actually pretty close to being ready to go," said Senior Airman Elle Liza Marie Franz, a CASF medical technician also deployed from Travis. "We keep the patients for about 12 hours - usually just long enough for transportation to be arranged."

The CASF processes more than 300 patients a month, with ailments ranging from hernias and broken bones, to gunshot wounds and improvised explosive device-related injuries.

It's those patients arriving after being hit with IEDs that draw the most attention at the CASF, and rightfully so say the staff. The CASF has implemented a "Battle Injury Program" where American flags are presented to those with combat injuries.

"It's the least we can do," said Maj. Cheryl Spray, officer in charge of the CASF's medical control center and also deployed from Travis. "It's a way to show that we appreciate the sacrifices that they make for us and it's a small reminder of what we're fighting for."