News

Aeromedical staging squadron gains ability to train more locally

  • Published
  • By Sandra Pishner
  • 446th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
MCCHORD FIELD, Wash. --  It might not look like much at first glance; it's just a tent.  But that tent has given the 446th Aeromedical Staging Squadron the opportunity to train more Airmen locally.

Known as a UTILS Tent, the portable structure is used to house a mobile combat aeromedical staging facility.

After requesting the funding for the tent in June of 2014, the squadron received it in January and took it out of the box for the first time in February.  They plan to bring it out again in April during the UTA so more Reservists in the squadron can train with it.

"I like to have things on hand for my young troops so they can get familiar (with the skills requirements) before they go down to their formal training," said Senior Master Sgt. Robert Cutchin, 446th Aeromedical Staging Squadron program manager.  "This is a big one for us because we're having a field training exercise in July.  We were able to get this tent with the wing commander's approval based on the last  FTX we did."

Although he has been to the formal training, Senior Airman John Hendershot, 446th ASTS medical administration, is pleased with the chance to get more training.

"It will be good to have on the UTA weekends;  a quick two or three hours of refresher training rather than one year later and not remembering how to do it," Hendershot said.  "I feel like it's not something you can really learn over one day at (formal training)."

Manpower reductions and funding restrictions require the Reservists in the ASTS to get creative with their training options.

"We're not manned anymore for a 250-bed CASF," said Cutchin.  "But our mission is still aerovac patient staging.  We still go fly out on missions with (aeromedical evacuation) and we still take care of patients and prepare them to fly. "

Having the right equipment on hand helps the Reservists train while they wait to attend the formal training at Camp Bullis, Texas.

"We're looking for unique ways to train our folks because we can't get all the formal training down in San Antonio because of limited funding," said Cutchin.  "We're trying to make use of local field training exercises and that's where the equipment comes in as important."

It's just one tent so far, but the ASTS has bigger plans to further enhance their ability to train locally.

"I want to make sure my folks have what they need to train on over the weekend because they don't come out here on the weekend to drive computers," said Cutchin. 

According to Cutchin, the ASTS would like to have three tents.  But that's not all they want.  The plan also is to have a readiness trailer designed to simulate the inside of a C-17. 

"We can't always count on getting an aircraft to train on, so if we have this trailer, we can still accomplish our training," he said.

Training people like Airman First Class Connor Bitterman, a medical technician who recently completed the formal course.

"I think it's a great opportunity for people in the unit to get more hands on experience so the when the time does come for us to actually have to put it up, its instant memory and we don't have to fumble with it," said Bitterman.

In April the squadron will break out the tent again so more people can get a look at it, and they plan on putting it through its paces in June with a small-scale FTX .