775th EAEF embraces new mission

Published March 14, 2013
By 1st Lt. Angela Martin
60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Prior to the start of operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, typical aeromedical evacuation missions were used to transport service members and their dependents to military hospitals throughout the United States or to bring a retiree home from an overseas location to obtain further medical care.

But OIF and OEF brought new needs and demands for the AE mission.

"As a nation at war, the aeromedical evacuation mission has completely changed into a more monumental task," said Lt. Col. Jeanne LaFountain, an Air Force Reservist and officer in charge of the 775th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Flight Travis detachment. "There are several staging facilities throughout the world that have changed as mission needs dictate, including one here at Travis."

That's where the Airmen of the 775th EAEF come in. As part of their continental United States medical operations missions, 775th EAEF crew members receive wounded warriors in CONUS locations and treat their injuries during flights to their home stations stateside.

"In Germany, some patients are flown straight back to the states whereas others may need more in-depth care before the next step of their journey home," LaFountain said. "Travis crews have the unique honor of being the crew that brings the wounded warrior to their home station where family and friends are often waiting to greet them."

But the Travis unit isn't doing it alone. As part of the 375th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron at Scott Air Force Base, Ill., the 775th EAEF consists of three detachments dedicated to patient transportation: Joint Base Andrews, Md., Kelly Field Annex at Lackland AFB, Texas and Travis.

Considered a 122-day deployment, the Travis crew is represented by active duty, Guardsmen and Reservist flight nurses and medical technicians. These crews typically transport patients to locations on the west coast and Hawaii.

"As a nurse, unless you have a certain career field, you don't deploy very often," said Capt. Melissa Droege, flight nurse deployed from Scott AFB. "I knew that going AE would give me the opportunity to continuously deploy. There's nothing more meaningful than the deployed mission that we have."

To prepare for the deployed mission, 775th EAEF crewmembers are trained and qualified on multiple airframes to provide quality care to wounded warriors in any environment. Since the 775th EAEF first opened its doors at Travis 10 years ago, AE missions have regularly launched on the C-17 Globemaster III, C-130 Hercules and KC-135 Stratotanker.

Patients begin their journey home with the initial medevac that brings them to a hospital in theater to be stabilized before their flight to Germany. After many days of flying, the patients arrive in CONUS. Crews operating out of here are typically the last crew to care for the patients, LaFountain said.

As the final crew to bring patients home, the sense of urgency and quality of care continue to be of utmost importance. Crew members provide comforts of home by baking cookies for patients during long flights and keeping medications, blankets and pillows accessible.

According to Capt. Robert Wiseman, a Reservist deployed from Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, having the opportunity to provide patients a safe and comfortable transport home is one of the main reasons he enjoys being part of the Travis crew.

"Being able to move patients and return them to their families is a blessing," he said.