CASF brings injured service members to higher-level care

Published Jan. 5, 2012
By Master Sgt. Mary Davis
455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- "Ten minutes out" is the message that propels the medical team into action. Knowing their predetermined roles -- CASF staff and volunteers arrive at the awaiting aircraft to quickly and carefully offload patients to the ambulance buses. For some patients, this is a place to receive quick treatment and be sent back to their units. For others, it's a place to be assessed for more extensive treatment in Germany. For all patients who are flown to or from Bagram Airfield, it's a place to receive compassionate medical care by a team of professionals at the 455th Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facility.

The CASF team provides support and medical care to injured service members within Afghanistan, offering around-the-clock care for incoming and outgoing patients.

Maj. Cindi Willis, CASF commander and nurse, is responsible for overseeing CASF operations, managing patients in the aeromedical evacuation system and coordinating flights out.

"I make sure the Inpatients and CASF patient's paperwork, medications, and equipment is available and ready for their AE flight," said the Beavercreek, Ohio, native. "Here, we have nurses, medical technicians, administrative technicians and manpower to ensure patients are transported to the plane in the safest manner."

Willis knows how demanding the job can be since she deployed to the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing CASF two years ago.

"We cared for 1,200 patients during my 6-month deployment," said Willis, an 18-year active-duty Airman. "We have transported more than 6,000 patients in the same amount of time at Bagram. We had to hit the ground running since our arrival in June. The majority of staff never worked in a CASF, and there were many interlocking parts to smooth out so we could gel as a team. It's a very rewarding job, knowing you are helping injured troops make it home safely."

Ensuring the team works together smoothly is the job of the "bulldog" who manages the logistical elements of inbound and outbound missions. A bulldog ensures the team has enough people, drivers and equipment needed for a mission and facilitates movement to and from the flightline, the major said.

Once the administrative technicians receive notification of a mission from Joint Patient Movement Requirements Center, they write the information on the status board, prompting the team to start their preparations. The bulldog then begins assessing how many buses and litter carriers are needed, the amount of oxygen and types of patients they will handle. Once the aircraft is 10-minutes from the base, the team members, working in their pre-assigned roles, wait for the aircraft to taxi so they can offload patients and bring them to the hospital.

Once the patients are safely transported to the Craig Joint Theater Hospital, they are reassessed, said Tech. Sgt. Chrishana Dameron, CASF dayshift NCOIC and bulldog.

"When we receive patients, most of the paperwork is already generated on them. Part of the reassessment process involves taking a second look at their paperwork," said Dameron, who hails from Smithfield, Ohio. "Normally before patients get here, a medic or flight doctor will gather most of their information needed. However, we still sometimes receive a hodge-podge of information, and it's up to the Patient Movement Element to legitimately sort everything out and update it accordingly to allow for transport. The AE system is all about triage and re-triage to set up a plan of care for patients."

When the intent is made known that a patient needs to receive further treatment in Germany, the PME team calls and lets them know which patients will be on the outbound flight. That gives the CASF team a heads up to prepare. If there are critical-care patients, the team prepares them to fly to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center within 12 hours to receive definitive care.

Providing care to thousands of patients would be even more difficult without the help of CASF volunteers, who come from a variety of ranks, services and organizations around Bagram.

"We have a pretty robust volunteer program here with more than 300 people," said Dameron, who is also the CASF volunteer coordinator. "The volunteers are always so eager to help, and they love this mission. Good things are infectious."

Helping the CASF when she can, Army Staff Sgt. Ashley Delisle, a human resources sergeant with the 45th Infantry Brigade combat team, said she volunteers to give back to the military community while she is deployed here.

"Whenever the CASF needs volunteers, I help out whenever I can," said Delisle, a native of Oklahoma City. "I do it because you never know; it could be one of our Soldiers that needs help. The reward is immediate when you volunteer. The feeling you get from helping others is worth it."

Brig. Gen. Bryan Watson, Joint Engineering director for U.S. Forces-Afghanistan, said his injured Soldiers are in good hands when they come to the 25-bed CASF facility.

"When our soldiers get hurt, they don't have to worry," the general said. "They know they will receive the best medical treatment in the world at the CASF, and the team will make sure they make it safely back to their families."