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RAF Medics Practice in the Skies

How challenging is it to give life saving treatment to someone? Stressful? challenging? Imagine doing it in the back of an aircraft and working alongside other nations who potentially do things differently… could you be a life saver?  

RAF Brize Norton is home to our Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron who are part of the RAF’s Tactical Medical Wing – essentially flying Doctors and Nurses -  who fly in and out of some, often, very dangerous places to help those in need of urgent medical care.

CBRN-TEAM
The team practice on life size dummies

This week Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron are taking part in Exercise Mobility Guardian to train, practice and provide aeromedical evacuations with our partner nations including United States Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force and Royal New Zealand Air Force.

This exercise validates the RAF’s readiness to conduct aeromedical flights. This exercise is carried out in a simulated threatening environment,  working specifically on  airlift, airdrop, aeromedical evacuation and air refuelling capabilities.

This exercise is taking place at Fairchild Air Force Base in the USA from 8-28 September where a total of 4000 participants are working together, this includes 2500 Airmen and women, 1000 Joint Force Partners, 46 US mobility aircraft, US Army, Navy and Marine Corps participants as well as 29 International Partners, 500 international personnel and 14 international aircraft... its large and its complex and practices vital skills.

cbrn-work

The RAF personnel involved in this are working on what is called ‘INTERFLY’.  This utilises one Nation’s aircraft with another Nation’s Aeromedical team and equipment. We are demonstrating INTERFLY is achievable working alongside our US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand partners throughout a series of challenging scenarios.

‘Next week the other nations will be arriving to participate in the exercise and we look forward to observing and learning from them."

Squadron Leader Jayne Arscott
 Officer Commanding Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron
RAF Brize Norton.