TSGT Matthew Says Goodbye to his family

943rd Aerospace Medicine Squadron Members from Arizona Deploy to New York to Battle COVID-19

During national disasters, military service members and other federal employees can engage in deployments to “hot spots” around the country.  Such an implementation took place this month when the 943rd Aerospace Medicine Squadron (AMDS) sent two Critical Care Respiratory Therapists to the Javits Conference Center in New York to support the converted hospital. Both personnel are also members of a Critical Care Air Transport team, pronounced C-CAT.

CCAT is a highly specialized and uniquely skilled three-person medical team that augments standard aeromedical evacuation crew members and turns an aircraft into a flying intensive care unit. These members have the experience to care for critically ill or injured patients with multisystem trauma, respiratory failure, multiple organ failure, and other life-threatening complications.

Colonel Jes, commander of the 943rd AMDS commander, said, “You don’t expect the front of a war to come stateside, but that’s exactly what’s happened with this particular pandemic.”

Fortunately, when the request to mobilize came, there were Personnel Specialists in the office who were able to facilitate a critical need. By following medical readiness procedures, they were able to generate official travel documents for the deployment of the therapists.

“We had the right people in the right place to react immediately,” he said.

The 943rd Aerospace Medicine Squadron is part of the 943rd Rescue Group at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, and the 920th Rescue Wing at Patrick AFB, Florida. The 943rd AMDS supports the medical needs of over 1200 Airmen.

This deployment is part of a broader mobilization package of more than 120 doctors, nurses and respiratory technicians in Air Force Reserve units across the nation provided this month in support of COVID-19 response to take care of Americans.

“The whole idea of training is to be prepared for when the day comes,” said Colonel Jes. “And it has arrived.”

 

Editor’s note:  This story was adapted with permission of the 943rd AMDS.  You can see the full article online  https://www.afrc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2138724/not-for-self-but-for-country/

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