June 21, 2013
Kaiserslautern American
HAVE YOU READ YOUR KA TODAY?
June 21, 2013
Airmen build capability with Polish air force by 1st Lt. Kay M. Nissen 86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs The 86th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron and 435th Contingency Response Group continuously train to meet sustainable medical readiness throughout the European theater. Training not only benefits Ramstein Airmen, but also other allies like the Polish air force who have consistently engaged in AE training and familiarization throughout 2012 and 2013. “All NATO countries benefit from having highly skilled and qualified teams to transport wounded warriors from theater back to higher levels of medical care and eventually back to their home country,” said Lt. Col. Kevin D. Hettinger, 435th CRG flight surgeon and Poland AE Building Partnership Capacity team lead. In early 2012, Polish AE team members visited the 86th AES Airmen on Ramstein. In turn, three months later, a member of the 86th AES attended the first medical evacuation and aeromedical evacuation conference at the Polish Air Force Academy. Last month, two Airmen from the 86th AES and one Airman from the 435th CRG
engaged with Poland again to focus on advancements of the Polish AE team from the previous year. “The Polish AE team has a goal of obtaining NATO certification for aeromedical evacuation,” Hettinger said. “Our team was able to provide some recommendations toward this goal after reviewing published NATO standards for AE and inspection checklists.” Currently, the Polish AE team can transport stabilized Polish troops from Landstuhl Regional Medical Center back to Poland. “Their team is amazing,” said Tech. Sgt. Elizabeth Araujo, 86th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron technician and fluent Polish speaker. “It’s a team of six. They fly as a Critical Care Air Transport Team. They do everything: they receive the phone call, they receive the plane, they set up and they fly.” While the Polish AE team impressed their U.S. counterparts, Polish medical experts continue to work to reach their certification and sharpen their skills. “It was nice to see how receptive they are and how willing they are to take in that information,” Araujo See TRAINING, Page 8
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Volume 37, number 24
Photo by Airman 1st Class Dymekre Allen
Medical group conducts training Airmen from the 86th Medical Group process a simulated chemical decontamination checkpoint station during training Monday on Ramstein. The medical group conducts training on base to test the group’s readiness.
435th CTS completes humanitarian project by Tech. Sgt. Jeffrey Mooney and 1st Lt. Kay Nissen 435th Air Ground Operations Wing
A 435th Construction and Training Squadron engineering team recently completed a humanitarian assistance renovation project in the country of Georgia. The nine-member team from four different Air Force specialty codes hailed from CTS’s military construction flight, which is responsible for humanitarian and exerciserelated projects throughout Europe and Africa. “Being assigned to the MCF is probably the best assignment a CE craftsman could ever
have,” said Master Sgt. Michael Shaffer, 435th CTS MCF superintendent. “We travel and build with an 18-man team. One day you may be laying tile, then paving a road the next.” The MCF renovated 10 restrooms at a kindergarten in Tbilisi, Georgia. The restrooms were in poor condition with aged tile falling from the walls, inoperable toilets and sinks, and no running hot water. Beginning April 7, the team spent 54 days in country for the humanitarian project. The Airmen installed 25 new sinks and toilets to replace old fixtures. They retiled the rooms, See PROJECT, Page 6
Tip of the Week This is the time for thunderstorms in Europe. Run to a safe building or vehicle when you first hear thunder or see lightning. Stay indoors until the storm passes and never shelter under trees.
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