Army helicopter unit conducts third medevac in a month

FORT WAINWRIGHT, Alaska - Soldiers assigned to Charlie Company, 1-52 General Support Aviation Battalion, recently performed their third aeromedical evacuation in a month, this time of an injured driver near the remote community of Livengood.

Early on August 2, the unit received notification from the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center about a request from the Alaska State Troopers for assistance in transporting a driver who had been injured after colliding with some construction equipment.

However, widespread fog and rain complicated the route planning and necessitated that the crew consult with Detachment 3, 1st Combat Weather Squadron, at Fort Wainwright before taking off. Because of the cloud cover, the crew had to request special permission to fly at a lower altitude than usual. Once a safe route was determined and permission secured, the crew departed Ladd Army Airfield at 6:05 a.m.

Once the crew arrived at the patient's exact location, with a Trooper vehicle marking the scene with flashing lights, they landed, loaded the patient onto the helicopter, and departed within ten minutes.

The crew landed at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital at 8:20 a.m. and transferred the patient to the care of hospital staff before heading back to Fort Wainwright.

"I am proud of the crew for another successful lifesaving mission," said Maj. Jeff Crook, the commander of Charlie Company. "Their dedication truly embodied the spirit of Arctic Dustoff."

Based out of Fort Wainwright in central Alaska, the unit operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to provide aeromedical evacuation support for thousands of service members training at the installation each year. Additionally, the unit works with the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center and local emergency services to provide rescue coverage in northern Alaska's remote wilderness areas.

This life-saving mission is a collaborative effort, and every member of the team is vital to its success. The crew for this mission was Chief Warrant Officer 3 Ryan Ray, pilot in command; Capt. Kathryn Johnston, pilot; Staff Sgt. Beau McIntosh, crew chief, and Spc. Cole Griesel, medic.

The other medevac missions in the 30 days prior to this one included the rescue of an injured civilian from a remote cabin along the Yukon River on July 5 and an injured service member from a training area near Eielson Air Force Base on July 23.

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