In Iraq: 'Definitely an interesting run tonight'
JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq - "Medevac, medevac, medevac," crackles out of the radio for the second time today.
Sgt. Ryan Cornelius, 29, a crew chief from Abilene, Kans., runs out to the aircraft. Within fifteen minutes several helicopters take flight and the airfield is silent again.
"The mission was called because a man was suffering from what was a suspected heart attack," says flight medic Sgt. Jason Westlund (pictured below), 27, from Corvallis, Ore, when he returns from the trip.
Cornelius, Westlund and pilots Cpt. Adam Lulay and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Matt Hill are on first-up duty, which previously meant that they launched only on urgent missions designated for patients under immediate threat of life, limb or eyesight or in need of urgent surgery.
Now, Charlie Company, 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation, a Medevac unit based out of Salem, Ore., has changed the way they do business. First-up launches on urgent and priority missions, which means they will pick up patients that have up to four hours before threat of life, limb or eyesight becomes immediate. While first-up flies on a mission, another crew called second-up assumes first-up duties.
When Charlie Company arrived in Iraq they were required to parrot the previous Medevac unit’s way of doing things for at least a month.In July, soldiers decided to change that schedule. A Sub-Committee of pilots, crew chiefs, medics and pilots discussed the issue.
The final decision was left to the Standardization Board compiled of the commander, instructor pilots and flight instructors. The board recalled that Charlie Company used first-up crews for urgent and priority patients on the last two deployments to Afghanistan.
"We’re going back to what’s worked with the company in the past," says Chief Warrant Officer 4 Rod Comstock, a standardization instructor pilot. "It's tried and tested."
Despite Charlie Company’s new rules, there are still variations to patient pick-up. Tonight, poor weather has grounded several of Charlie Company’s helicopters allocated for CASF (Contingency Aero medical Staging Facility) missions designed for routine patients. When Westlund and Cornelius launch with another aircraft for an urgent patient, they decide to pick-up a routine patient and his escort.
"It was a combat, stress-related, non-battle injury," says Westlund. "The patient movement request said he was suffering from psychotic schizophrenia."
According to his paperwork the patient was hearing voices in his head directing him to hurt people in his unit that had been harassing him.
"In the interview with the psychologist they asked if he was still planning on hurting the soldier or just an anger moment," says Westlund. "He [the patient] said, 'no if I were in the room alone with him right now I would shoot him.' "
In Sgt. Jason Westlund's Own Words
Back at the airfield two lights appear out of the black sky. The rumbling of rotor blades and engines break the silence of the airfield. Two UH-60 Blackhawks float effortlessly over the white landing pads. As the helicopters kick up dust and gravel as they land two more Blackhawks, from another Medevac unit based in Iraq, land behind them.
"This is the second time today that four helicopters have landed at once," says Cornelius. The action on the airfield, operated by Charlie Company, has slowed down since the June 30 troop pullout, but there are still pockets of heightened activity. As Oregon medics help un-load their patients, the other medics do the same.
"Definitely an interesting run tonight," says Westlund after escorting his patient to the hospital.
Cali Bagby is embedded with the Oregon Army National Guard from Charlie Company, 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation, a Medevac Unit based out of Salem, Ore., for KVAL.com. Her work has been published in the Washington Post and the Eugene Weekly.
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