A UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter belonging to Charlie Company, 1-52 General Support Aviation Battalion, flies near the foothills of the Alaska Range during a training mission. (Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Ann Nabors)
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FORT WAINWRIGHT, Alaska – Soldiers assigned to Charlie Company, 1-52 General Support Aviation Battalion, recently performed an aeromedical evacuation of an injured Airman from the Yukon Training Area.
The Airman had fallen in a trench and was believed to have a back injury. Due to the severity of the injury, roughness of the unpaved road, and distance to the hospital, personnel on scene requested evacuation by air. The aeromedical evacuation unit, known as Arctic Dustoff, lifted off from Ladd Field at Fort Wainwright 15 minutes after receiving the notification for the mission.
Upon arrival in the training area, pilot Capt. Caleb Kifer made the decision to drop off paramedic Staff Sgt. Christopher Edwards to evaluate the Airman and then immediately lift off again while Edwards worked.
“Because the landing zone at the point of injury was small, we were not able to displace on the ground far enough to allow him to work clear of the rotor wash,” Kifer said. The terrain also inhibited communication for the air crew, so orbiting the area while Edwards worked enabled them to radio back to higher headquarters and air traffic control to provide updates.
Sixteen minutes after delivering Edwards to begin treatment, the helicopter lifted off again for the flight to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital.
“The expertise and proficiency of the duty crew, namely our flight paramedic Staff Sgt. Edwards, as well as the Air Force medics on the ground, enabled a seamless and timely response to our sister service member in their time of need,” said Kifer.
The crew landed at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital at 4:36 p.m. and transferred the patient to the care of hospital staff before heading back to the hangar.
Based out of Fort Wainwright in central Alaska, the unit operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to provide aeromedical evacuation support for thousands of service members training at the installation each year. Additionally, the unit works with the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center and local emergency services to provide rescue coverage in northern Alaska’s remote wilderness areas for civilians as well.
This life-saving mission is a collaborative effort, and every member of the team is vital to its success. Along with Edwards and Kifer, the crew for this mission included Warrant Officer Walter Hastings and Spc. Blade Lee.
