House Honors U.S. Air Force Medical and Air Crews
September 29, 2010
The House of Representatives unanimously passed Congressman Mike Thompson's resolution recognizing the service of the military medical and air crews in helping our wounded soldiers make the trip home. The Air Force's Aeromedical Evacuation (AE) flights help guarantee our wounded service men and women are quickly reunited with their families and given the best medical care.
“These men and women put their lives on the line on a regular basis to protect their fellow Americans,” said Congressman Thompson (D-CA). “When it comes to getting wounded military personnel off the battlefield, the Air Force crews do not hesitate to go into dangerous situations to evacuate our troops. These flights have increased the survival rate to 98%, the highest survival rate of any war in U.S. history. This wouldn't be the case without the brave Airmen who carry out our Aeromedical Evacuation flights.”
Since September 11, 2001, AE flights have been responsible for transporting over 74,000 patients from Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Today, a soldier injured on the battlefield in Afghanistan or Iraq will be back in an American hospital in an average of three days. This is over seven days faster than during Operation Desert Storm and over 40 days quicker than during the conflict in Vietnam.
Operated by some of our county's most dedicated nurses, medical technicians, physicians, pilots and support crews, AE is a Total Force effort - which includes members from Air Force Active Duty, Reserve and Air National Guard - operating at over 30 Air Force Bases in the U.S. and abroad. Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, CA is home to 349th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron.
“These men and women put their lives on the line on a regular basis to protect their fellow Americans,” said Congressman Thompson (D-CA). “When it comes to getting wounded military personnel off the battlefield, the Air Force crews do not hesitate to go into dangerous situations to evacuate our troops. These flights have increased the survival rate to 98%, the highest survival rate of any war in U.S. history. This wouldn't be the case without the brave Airmen who carry out our Aeromedical Evacuation flights.”
Since September 11, 2001, AE flights have been responsible for transporting over 74,000 patients from Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Today, a soldier injured on the battlefield in Afghanistan or Iraq will be back in an American hospital in an average of three days. This is over seven days faster than during Operation Desert Storm and over 40 days quicker than during the conflict in Vietnam.
Operated by some of our county's most dedicated nurses, medical technicians, physicians, pilots and support crews, AE is a Total Force effort - which includes members from Air Force Active Duty, Reserve and Air National Guard - operating at over 30 Air Force Bases in the U.S. and abroad. Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, CA is home to 349th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron.