United States Transportation Command

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (USTCNS) --- Hawaii. It conjures images of sunshine, palm trees swaying gently in the trade winds, beautiful beaches and the vast, blue Pacific Ocean.

To battle-tested members of the 349th Aeromedical Evacuation and 349th Aeromedical Staging Squadrons, it brings flashbacks of Pacific Warrior and a stressful, but successful Expeditionary Operational Readiness Inspection.

More than 100 members from the 349th Air Mobility Wing deployed to Hawaii as participants and battle staff for the third annual Army-sponsored medical exercise, which was conducted at four locations on Oahu and at the Hilo International Airport on the "Big Island."

The exercise, which simulated a conflict in the Pacific theater, was designed to test the capabilities of medical units to treat casualties in field hospitals as they are moved by ground, rotary and fixed-wing aircraft between the five locations. Hilo simulated Yokota Air Base, Japan, and the last stop for medical treatment before patients were evacuated to the United States for long-term care.

Working alongside their Reserve counterparts from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and the Minneapolis-St. Paul IAP Air Reserve Station, Minn., an Air Mobility Command Inspector General team evaluated the team against about 40 scripted wartime scenarios.

The combined aeromedical team encountered simulated cluster bombs, terrorist penetrations, enemy prisoners of war, foreign journalists, unexploded ordnance forcing a temporary relocation of facilities, conscientious objectors, a loss of critical personnel, short notices to airlift numerous critical care litter patients, last-minute aircraft swaps and more.

"I've never seen a group of people from around the country for the first time meld together seamlessly as this group did," said Senior Master Sgt. Dale Miller, 349th ASTS and aeromedical staging facility manager. "Without question, this group epitomizes a deployed ASTS."

"We meshed so well that the only way you could tell us apart was by the different colored tape," added Col. Margaret Pay, 349th ASTS chief nurse and ASF commander for the morning shift.

While participants and inspectors alike praised the group's teamwork and synergy, the players were placed in the somewhat unfamiliar roles of having to sweep for unexploded ordnance and provide security.

"The ATSO play was very heavy, which taxed our staff's ability to accomplish its regular mission," said Maj. Bryan Weber, 349th AES officer-in-charge of the aeromedical evacuation operations team's afternoon shift. "In our UTC, there is no security function and we were having to assign six or seven people for security out of a shift package of 16 people."

But the challenges didn't end there. Real world situations arose sporadically throughout the exercise and EORI.

"We were challenged by some real world situations - dehydration and staff shortages," said Capt. Cheryl Spray, 349th ASTS and ASF medical control center operations officer. "Wherever you go, situations arise and you must adapt to them."

Life wasn't any easier for the aircrews that were charged with providing patient care during the evacuation missions.

"It was particularly difficult putting on all the chem gear in the air and then providing patient care while wearing all the additional gear," said 1st Lt. Sarah Brooks, 349th AES flight nurse. "But it's been a great learning experience and I'm more confident now in my duties as a flight nurse."

"This was my very first deployment exercise and I'm new to aerovac so I came here very inexperienced," added Capt. Dawn Bagley, a 349th AES health services administrator who worked as an aeromedical evacuation operations officer during the EORI. "I got some good experience and it's increased my confidence. I now have a better understanding of my role in aerovac."

Other participants with real world experience also acknowledged the benefits of Pacific Warrior and the EORI.

"This has been a concentrated pill of what I've learned in 10 years of deployments," said Maj. Fawn McCloud, 349th ASTS assistant chief nurse and a Desert Storm veteran. "If these guys ever get deployed, they will know what to do and it's a great feeling."

349th AES medical technician Tech. Sgt. Aprilito Castillo compared it favorably to his real world experience.

"I was deployed to Yugoslavia and the scenarios we've had here during the exercise and the EORI were actually harder than the real thing I experienced there," he said.

It was the third EORI for Staff Sgt. Steven Doane, a 349th ASTS medical service assistant and an ASF sweep team leader for the EORI. He said the deployment from Travis, setting up the ASF and the integration with other squadrons was very realistic. AMC inspectors took notice.

"From the start this group had a great sense of urgency and a positive attitude," said Lt. Col. Susan Connor, AMC IG team leader. "They blended well in a true expeditionary fashion and their great teamwork was evident in everything they did from patient care to getting missions, both sending and receiving, to attack response and recovery. Everybody did a superb job and is ready for the fight." (FROM TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE PUBLIC AFFAIRS).

349th AMW travels to Hawaii for exercise

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