Saviors from above

My platoon had the chance to meet with the Air Medical Evacuation (MEDEVAC) guys for a few hours. These are the men and women who must jump into a Blackhawk helicopter and fly to the scene of an attack (or accident) and evacuate casualties. They are often the first soldiers who deliver emergency medical care to the wounded. During the class they instructed us on proper methods for securing and marking the area and how to quickly load casualties onto a running helicopter. The Air MEDEVAC teams, like us, are on call 24 hours a day and must be ready at a moments notice. Their job must be both a physically and emotionally exhausting one. Their ability to quickly get to the scene, and the decisions they make once the casualty is in their care often determine whether a person lives or dies. This point was illustrated for us when, during the class, a team had to immediately leave to evacuate an Iraqi man who had suffered five bullet wounds to the back (inflicted by insurgents). I don’t know if the man survived, but I did get a first hand look at just how fast these teams are able to take an injured person out of harms way. While my work here is constant, and there is always uncertainty as to what awaits us, these men and woman must endure far more. At least when I leave the wire I have the reasonable hope that all of our soldiers will return back to base safely and without injury. The MEDEVAC crews know that when they are called out it means that another human being has been seriously wounded. They deal with pain and loss every day. It is my opinion that no one knows the cost of war more intimately than those whose job it is to care for the dead and wounded.

The class was a very valuable one. If our platoon does suffer casualties from an attack the knowledge they passed down to us will help ensure that any wounded soldiers are treated quickly. Any class that helps make sure your friends make it home to their families is one I’ll stay awake for. It was a sobering lesson to learn, and one that I hope we will never have to face.