HomeNewsArticle Display


Redirecting...

Total Force aeromedical Airmen receive new trainer

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Tristin English
  • 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. (AFNS) --  Scott Air Force Base Airmen recently began using a new ground aeromedical evacuation (AE) fuselage trainer (FuT) here.

Through coordination with Air Mobility Command, the 375th Air Mobility Wing secured a C-130H Hercules aircraft that was scheduled for decommissioning from Little Rock AFB, Arkansas in 2016. The C-130 is the primary aircraft for this squadron and performs a large amount of patient evacuations while downrange, said Maj. Mark Hassett, the 375th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron operations flight commander.

“The C-130H FuT provides an innovative, cost effective, improved training platform for total force AE and ground support personnel in terms of aircraft configuration familiarization and realistic, high-fidelity task training and mission simulation,” Hassett said. “The C-130 FuT doubles the 375th AES simulation training capability."

The en route care environment is dynamic and requires constant innovation to ensure the AE crews and ground support personnel are highly proficient in providing high quality and reliable patient transport in support of its mission.

“(The 375th) AES worked with AMC and C-130 training resources to determine what parts were needed to sustain a realistic training platform,” Hassett said. “Critical components deemed unnecessary for AE training were removed from the aircraft and recycled so other agencies could use them.”

The C-130H FuT provides a controlled environment where the 375th AES personnel can schedule realistic, high-fidelity task training and mission simulation. Ground support personnel and aeromedical evacuation crew members from any medical Air Force specialty code will be able to apply lessons learned. In addition, they will be able to sustain task proficiency to better support the AE crews and the Tactical Aeromedical Evacuation System mission.

“In conjunction with our KC-135 (Stratotanker) simulation learning center/cargo compartment trainer (CCT), both training platforms provide two of the three primary aircraft used for aeromedical evacuation in a low threat, hi-fidelity capacity for clinical as well as operational exposure,” Hasset said.

The FuT also allows for hands-on muscle memory of configuration, placement of in-flight kits, electrical, oxygen, emergency exits, etc. Overall, 100 percent of required readiness skills are completed for the AE technicians. Flight nurses have transitioned to foundational and operational skills as those are consistent with the semi-annual training requirements that are completed both in the CCT, FuT and flight, depending on training level.

“Any aeromedical evacuation squadron—Guard, Reserve, or active duty—are welcome to train on our FuT,” Hassett said. “In fact, some already have trained with our simulation facility. In the future, we anticipate being a regional hub for AE training.”

With the complexity of acquiring training missions for AE crews and ground support personnel, the addition of a C-130H FuT provides an innovative, cost effective training platform for the 375th AES to better sustain technically proficient, highly skilled, multi-functional AE crews and ground support personnel.

“When the FuT was temporarily parked on the flight line, it could only be partially used for AE training,” said Lt. Col. Catherine Bonhoff, the 375th AES operations officer. “By moving it to a concrete pad with appropriate electrical support, the 502nd Training Development Squadron can restore and modify the interior so that it can be certified as an AE trainer. This means that aeromedical evacuation crew members can receive the same credit for designated training events on the FuT as they would for flying in the aircraft. If the FuT didn’t move, then it would not have a stable power source and therefore could not be modified and used as a certified trainer.