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RAF Medical Staff receive top awards
RAF Medical Staff receive top awards - Tuesday 3 November 2009
RAF Medical teams and the staff who supported them during an intense period of operations in Afghanistan this summer performed “beyond the call of duty”, an awards ceremony has heard.
As a result, three organisations from RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire linked to the medical pathway between injury on the frontline to care back in the UK have been honoured by the civilian Ambulance Service Institute.
The ASI - formed in 1976 to honour ambulance service personnel and associated professions - presents annual awards reflecting the hard work, dedication and sacrifice of medical first responders. The RAF is the sole provider of Aeromedical Evacuation to all three services through its Tactical Medical Wing (TMW) at Lyneham.
The Wing was successful in three award categories for 2009: the Military Award, awarded to the Operations and Logistics Squadron; the Air Ambulance Team Award, awarded to the Medical Emergency Response Team (MERT) and the Special President’s Award awarded to the Critical Care Air Support Team (CCAST). The awards were presented by Jacqui Lait MP at the House of Commons.
Operation PANTHER’S CLAW provided military support to the Afghan elections in Helmand . The Taleban suffered considerable losses, but the major operation also resulted in a concentration of British losses and injuries.
The Military Awards recognises military individuals or teams for acts above and beyond the call of duty. The Operations and Logistics Squadron at RAF Lyneham is responsible for all logistical and maintenance supporting functions for the operationally deployable elements of RAF Medical Services, including Aeromedical Evacuation and deployed operational medical formations such as MERTs.
The Squadron has a staff of just 29, who over the last year have “continuously demonstrated a determination to rise to all the challenges required of them,” Said ASI President Michael Pearce.
“Working through a significantly increased operational tempo, with substantial manpower shortfalls, the team continually displayed extraordinary levels of teamwork, determination and selfless commitment. Indeed this period, in particular over the summer and during Op PANTHER’S CLAW, is generally recognised as the being busiest period experienced since the Wing’s inception in 1996.”
The Medical Emergency Response Team was awarded the Air Ambulance Award for their contribution to PANTHERS CLAW. Based at Camp Bastion, the MERT evacuated more than 280 casualties from the battlefield during the period of the operation. MERTs consist of a Tri-Service Doctor (Anaesthetist / Emergency Medicine Specialist), an RAF Emergency Nurse, RAF Paramedic and RAF Medical Assistant, who work 24 hours a day to evacuate casualties from point of wounding to the Military Hospital at Camp Bastion. The teams who flew in RAF Chinook Helicopters were constantly exposed to enemy threat ranging from small arms fire to rocket propelled grenades.
In some areas improvised explosive devices were doubled and insurgents lay in wait for foot and vehicle patrols. The MERT teams worked in high heat temperatures of more than 40C carrying 20 kilograms of personal protection and kit, undoubtedly saved the lives of not only our coalition troops but also those of Afghan civilians and children.
The citation stated that apart from the 14 soldiers who did not survive, the MERTs evacuated 20 casualties with single traumatic amputations and 6 casualties who had sustained the loss of 2 or 3 limbs. 10% of the 280 casualties evacuated required advanced care because their injuries were so severe.
The Critical Care Air Support Team (CCAST) was awarded the Special President’s Award for their role in the repatriation back to the UK NHS of critical care patients from operational theatres and elsewhere around the world. Those nominated for the award represent the core of the team operating over this period.
The citation stated that: ”Their actions over the period ensured the safe return of an appreciably large number and concentration of critically injured personnel from theatre. CCAST team members are drawn from numerous locations within the RAF Medical Services who undertake on-call periods based at the Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, part of Tactical Medical Wing based at RAF Lyneham. The team includes a consultant anaesthetist, two critical care nurses, a medical equipment support technician and a flight nursing assistant. This team of specialists are able to provide a near full intensive care environment in the back of an aircraft.
“During the summer 2009 when British military forces were involved in Panther’s Claw, the CCAST were tasked with the transfer of all UK critically-injured military patients from Afghanistan to UK. During their on-call period the team flew 7 missions to retrieve 17 critical-care patients. By comparison, the average for the rest of 2009 was 7 critical-care patients per month. This episode thereby represented more than double the normal number of patients, with the team flying more than 200 mission hours in a four-week period.
Their essential task not only ensured that patients were safely returned to the UK to receive on-going and definitive care, but was crucial for maintaining an enduring intensive care capability at Camp Bastion. The importance of the latter cannot be underplayed; without CCAST, the potential to overrun Camp Bastion’s finite beds resource, and relatively small critical-care facility would have been high.”
Air Vice-Marshal Chris Morris, Chief of Staff (Health) RAF said: “The recognition by the Ambulance Service Institute of Tactical Medical Wing (TMW), the Operations and Logistic Squadron, the Medical Emergency Response Teams and the Critical Care Air Support Teams for their superb performances in the most difficult of times is very much appreciated. TMW continues to deliver the highest standard of care possible and their expertise and professionalism is outstanding. This is an exceptional achievement.
Homepage Image: Flight Sergeant Suzy Fyfe, Fg Off Susie Phillips, Cpl Kevin McKeating (hidden!), Flt Lt Sophie Green, Sgt Wayne Campling, Cpl Steve Edwards, Sgt Dave Ford, Mrs Maria MacDonald and Sqn Ldr Chris Rowley receiving the ASI Military Award.
Header Image: MERT: Flt Lt Andy Smith, SAC Toni Howell, Cpl Mike Taylor, Sgt Hayley Vendyback, Sgt Iain Quinton, Flt Lt Pete Whitwood, OC Deployable Aeromed Response Team, Sqn Ldr Charlotte Thompson, Sgt Steve Marcus and Cpl Ken McClean receive the ASI Air Ambulance Award from MP Jacqui Lait.
Image 1: ASI awardees from the RAF stand in the Great Hall of the House of Commons.
Image 2: Chief of Staff (Health) RAF, Air Vice-Marshal Chris Morris, addresses the Awards Ceremony at the House of Commons.