Allied Air Component Command HQ Ramstein

Allied Air Component Command HQ Ramstein - COOPERATIVE ARCHER 2007 Press Release

Georgian soldiers carrying a litter with a patient out of an Latvian Mi-17 SAR helicopter at Marneuli Air Base Tbilisi, Georgia – “Parts of Georgia are isolated due to flooding after what was the wettest month in a decade. While Georgian authorities have successfully dealt with the situation, resources have been stretched to the outmost. Now an earthquake has aggravated the situation. Georgia has decided to ask the United Nations and – as a result of an intensified dialogue – NATO and countries from the region to provide transportation, disaster relief and medical support. A total of 14 NATO and Partner Nations have agreed to provide assistance and dispatched fixed and rotary wing aircraft to the disaster area.”

This was the scenario for the NATO/PfP exercise “Cooperative Archer 2007” (COAR07) that took place in Georgia from 9 to 20 July 2007. Part of this exercise was a medical scenario during which nations were required to deliver disaster relief aid, SAR and medical evacuation of military personnel and civilians. The medical exercise was planned by Allied Air Component Command Headquarters Ramstein (CC-Air HQ Ramstein) in close coordination with the 14 participating nations. An AOC was set up at Alekseevka Air Base near Tbilisi on 9 July 2007 to be ready to begin operation immediately after initial training of participating nations. The exercise plan was for the participating nations to replace Georgian air forces in supporting people in the fictitious disaster area from 16 July 2007 on.

Medical training started on 10 July 2007 after settling in at Alekseevka Air Base. It was comprised of different workshops and rapidly all parties caught up with the NATO procedures. Georgian personnel took part in the training to be prepared to liaise during the missions. In the afternoon of 15 Jul 07 the training was completed and the Aeromedical Evacuation (AE) crews were getting ready to deploy to the exercise disaster area. Medical preparation included a Defense Institute of Medical Operations – in short DIMO – training, during which participants worked on disaster planning and response, and trauma response. The US instructors trained staff on how to react in emergency situations under field conditions.

LTC (MC) Filiep Callewaert during COAR07 medical training

“The familiarization training was important,” said LTC (MC) Dr. Filiep Callewaert, BEL AF, the CC-Air HQ Ramstein Medical Adviser , “we trained staff on how to respond and apply NATO standards and procedures for triage, i.e. the prioritization of casualties for further treatment and evacuation.” Dr. Callewaert oversaw the entire medical exercise and closely cooperated with the head of the DIMO Team, LTC (MC) Dr. Shobha Sem, USA AF.

At the AE Coordination Centre/Patient Evacuation Coordination Centre (AECC/PECC) in the Air Operation Centre (AOC) at Alekseevka Air Base, Hauptfeldwebel (OR-7) Daniela Schimag DEU AF from CC-Air HQ Ramstein’s Medical Branch, was the point of contact. “We plan aeromedical evacuation movements in close coordination with the AOC,” she said, “I have to determine which of our aircraft is available for AE from Vaziani Airfield to Marneuli Air Base. The doctor and I also take care of real-world Role 1 medical support for CC-Air HQ Ramstein and 1^st NATO Signal Battalion exercise participants, e.g. routine sick calls.”

In addition to the AECC/PECC at Alekseevka Air Base, there was a Role 2 facility at Marneuli Air Base for patient treatment and for fixed wing evacuations. Role 1 medical teams were located at Vaziani Airfield; they provided casualty retrieval for AE using the various Georgian, Hungarian, Latvian, Moldovan and Ukrainian air assets, and SAR mission support. “We increase the level of difficulty for participants,” explained Filiep Callewaert. “At first we trained the Partner Nations participants and gave hands-on training, then we gradually handed the mission over to the medical and aeromedical evacuation teams.”

HFw (OR-7) Daniela Schimag, DEU AF

At the field disaster site near Vaziani Airfield, casualties were concentrated at two Casualty Collecting Points (CCP). Role 1 activities, such as the first treatment and pre-triage, and ground and aeromedical wing evacuation take place. “Georgians operate the Role 1 Medical Treatment Facilities that are deployed along the taxiway of Vaziani Airfield,” said Filiep Callewaert, “they act for exercise play, but there is another Georgian Role 1 facility available at the airfield.”

The Role 2 facility at Marneuli Air Base the received stabilised casualties from the Role 1 facility and held them until their assigned evacuation mission was ready for execution. “Role 2 Personnel load patients to aircraft under the direction of the AE crews assigned to each aircraft,” explained Dr. Callewaert, “and they will assist in the deplaning of patient once the mission terminates back at Alekseevka Air Base.” Aircraft used for this purpose are the Hungarian and the Moldovan An-26s or the Ukrainian An-26 “Flying Hospital”. In some cases Georgian or Latvian helicopters also took over some missions.

During the medical exercises, Search and Rescue (SAR) missions were conducted by two-person medical teams. Georgian Mi-17, Mi-8 and UH-1H helicopters as well as Latvian Mi-17 or Turkish AS532 helicopters took casualties from the SAR missions to the Role 2 facility for treatment and processing. At this facility it was determined whether patients required further evacuation.

Medical treatment during the exercise was simulated only. “The required treatment is annotated on a triage card,” said Dr. Callewaert. This was the “hardcopy” Patient Tracking, whereas the electronic Patient Tracking was done by Daniela Schimag, back in the AECC/PECC at Alekseevka Air Base. “At the Role 1 facility at Vasian Airfield, the patients are received and assigned a number,” said Schimag. “During pre-triage each patient is given a priority 1 through 3.” It was also noted whether the patient is mobile or needs to be carried on a litter. “By this number patients can be tracked from the time they are taken into the system until they are handed over to a Role 3 facility or the Red Cross,” added the medical sergeant.

The pictures show:

Picture 1 - Georgian soldiers carrying a litter with a patient out of an Latvian Mi-17 SAR helicopter at Marneuli Air Base.

Picture 2 - LTC (MC) Filiep Callewaert during COAR07 medical training at Vaziani Airfield in front of a Georgian Mi-17 helicopter.

Picture 3 - HFw (OR-7) Daniela Schimag, DEU AF, during in-processing getting ready to assume her task coordinating aeromedical evacuation during COAR07.

Picture 4 - Pre-triage of casualties after being evacuated from the disaster zone at Vaziani Airfield during COAR07.