News

Wounded patients hitch ride home on C-17 with Reserve aircrew

  • Published
  • By Jake Chappelle
  • 446th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
MCCHORD FIELD, Wash. --  For the troops who get wounded serving on the front line in the area of responsibility sacrificing their lives for the greater good of the country, it is important they receive quality medical care at home.

An aircrew from the 313th Airlift Squadron flew a mission, Oct. 8 - 11, which took injured servicemembers from Joint Base Andrews, Md. to various military installations across the country.

With time being a factor, these Integrated Continental U.S. Medical Operations Plan missions, ran by the 775th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Flight, Travis Air Force Base, Calif., are flown weekly in order to get injured servicemembers home to definitive care.

"The missions flown are the execution of a solemn commitment the U.S. government has made to its service men and women, to provide the highest quality of care and the most expeditious system to return the wounded warrior home," said Lt. Col. Michael Gainer, 775th EAEF commander. "It is only by the service of the team (Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve, and active duty) can we can fulfill this commitment."

Of these weekly missions, McChord gets one assigned every couple of months, said Lt. Col. Michael Blumenschein, 313th Airlift Squadron assistant operations officer and pilot for the mission.

"The whole premise behind an ICMOP is to get the patients as close to home as efficiently as possible," said the Puyallup, Wash. resident who's flown about a dozen ICMOPs. "That's why we went there. I fly them whenever I can."

This mission, with an AE crew from the 775th EAEF, traveled from Travis AFB, to Joint Base Andrews to pick up six wounded patients. From there, they offloaded a patient at Biggs Army Air Field, Texas. Once the troop was safe and sound, the next stop was Barstow-Daggett Airport, Calif., to drop off four more troops and back to Travis AFB to drop off the last patient and the AE crew before the McChord C-17 crew came home to Washington.

Chief Master Sgt. Ronald Campeau, 313th AS resource manager and primary loadmaster for the mission, feels a sense of pride when flying an ICMOP assignment.

"Once you have completed this (kind of) mission you have a sense of accomplishment, knowing you've completed a mission in direct relationship to our global efforts," said the chief, who's been flying with the 446th AW since 1975. "I am exceptionally honored to bring our wounded soldiers to their homeland and families."

Gainer appreciates these missions because it helps put the families at ease.

"I know this is both comforting to the families and an important part of rehabilitation for many patients, said the commander. "It is also a demonstration of the respect our country has for those who are willing to lay their lives on the line for their country."

Blumenschein likes the fact that fewer patients are being flown on ICMOP missions.

"Over the years, I've had patient loads closer to 20," said the pilot who is closing in on 9,000 flying hours. "Recently, however, six to eight is about the average. I guess this is a good thing, as less (troops) are being wounded."

But this factor doesn't stop the care and seamless effort the aeromedical personnel and aircrews put into the mission.

"The AE and the front end crew work well together to get the mission complete in the most expeditious and safest manner," said Campeau who's assisted with four ICMOP missions. "The (aircraft) configuration is restricted due to the patients' priorities."

Overall, this ICMOP mission was fairly routine, if there is such a thing, said Blumenschein. The only challenge was flying into Barstow Airport, because it's a smaller airport than the crew is used to flying into.