Air Mobility Command officials recently tested an electrical modification made to a KC-135 Stratotanker at Scott AFB (IL) that could multiply the number of critically injured warfighters an aeromedical evacuation crew can carry on an aircraft at one time.
The KC-135 is currently equipped with one electrical outlet located in the galley and the modification has two electrical outlets placed along the length of the aircraft to provide power for medical equipment.
"This modification should help us be more timely with evacuation of wounded warriors; our most precious passenger. The test team is absolutely thrilled at the prospect of bringing tomorrow's mobility capability to life today," said Col. John Scorsone, the Air Mobility Command test and evaluation director.
"While two additional electrical outlets might not seem like much, they will provide a quantum leap in our ability to carry more of the critically injured warfighters on our KC-135s. The improved safety and ease of providing vital patient care is a priceless benefit to the entire U.S. military," said Brig. Gen. Douglas Robb, the AMC command surgeon. "It also gives us the ability to get more injured warfighters out of theater faster and more efficiently, and ultimately will save more lives."
This modification enables a KC-135 to hold up to six critically injured patients, said Master Sgt. Doug Tye, an AMC aeromedical evacuation flight examiner. As it stands now it can only hold up to two patients.
Without the modification, the outlet is a single point of failure, said Maj. Dave Hughes, an AMC test and evaluation manager for tanker aircraft. If the outlet went down, the aeromedical evacuation mission halted.
While aeromedical evacuation equipment is capable of running on battery power, it requires frequent stops and missions to be much shorter, making aeromedical evacuation missions with critically injured patients not realistic, Major Hughes said.
More outlets can serve as a backup if one fails, but also bring more flexibility in placing critically injured patients.
Aeromedical evacuation crews would be able to place the critically injured along the length of the KC-135 without having to run long cords thus limiting tripping hazards, said Major Hughes.
The test took place over two days and involved officials from AMC Test and Evaluation, 375th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, 932nd Critical Care Air Transport Team and the 190th Air Refueling Squadron from Forbes Field Air National Guard Base, Kan.
During the first day of the test, measurements were taken to verify how much power the circuits could support. A simulated aeromedical evacuation mission was performed on the second day to determine that the aeromedical evacuation crew could work in the modified environment safely and efficiently.
While the goal of the test is to identify any problems between the modification and the aircraft, the ultimate goal of the modification is to bring more injured warfighters out of harm's way and to a higher level of care faster.
The modification could be used as early as July.
Bekah Clark (AFNS)
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