LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. -- Airmen from the 19th Medical Group held a hands-on aeromedical evacuation training at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, July 24, 2025.
The training served to reinforce their mission readiness and sharpen their ability to provide rapid medical support in dynamic, real-world scenarios.
Held on the flight line at the installation, the training simulated a mass casualty evacuation, allowing medics to practice stabilizing and transporting patients onto a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft. The scenario tested their response time, communication under pressure, and coordination with aircrew to ensure smooth patient handoff during flight operations.
“The Air Force is the only service that can pick up critically ill patients and transport them across continents in a single flight,” said Maj. Katie Leverenz, 19th Medical Group flight and operational medicine flight commander. “As Air Force medics, we need to know how to interact with and support the unique capability that we bring to the Department of Defense.”
The exercise involved collaboration between flight nurses, aeromedical evacuation technicians, and personnel from the 375th Aeromedical Evacuation Training Squadron. Litter carries, patient assessments, in-flight care procedures, and emergency simulations were all integrated into the scenario.
“The 375th Aeromedical Evacuation Training Squadron’s goal with these training missions is to keep their own instructors current, while simultaneously taking advantage of opportunities to visit smaller medical groups, providing introductory familiarization with the C-17 and AE hands-on procedures,” said Lt. Col. Jennifer Chenoweth, 375th AETS director of operations. “This is not mandated or standardized training, but a unique opportunity to visit smaller MTFs, show personnel what aeromedical evacuation is and what the crewmembers do.”
Aeromedical evacuation plays a critical role in the Air Force’s ability to deliver life-saving care from the point of injury to higher levels of medical treatment, often within hours. The 19th Medical Group routinely trains for this capability to maintain medical readiness and support global mobility operations.
This training not only enhanced individual skills but also reinforced unit cohesion, allowing personnel to build trust and confidence in each other in preparation for real-world missions.