WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- The 445th Aeromedical Staging Squadron won the 2018 Air Force Reserve Command Medical Award, Outstanding Reserve Medical Unit without a Physical Exam Package category. The announcement was made Feb. 13, 2019.
The 445th ASTS ignited an integrated training platform. They aligned ground en-route patient staging training with aeromedical evacuation flight training resulting in the squadron having full unit type code training capabilities.
The unit developed equivalent training modality for flight surgeons, eliminating duplicate training and expedited qualifications. This efficient process saved the government $9,000.
The unit deployed 22 Airmen in the en-route patient staging system for aeromedical evacuation of ill and wounded in Southwest Asia.
The deployed CCATT, a physician, critical care nurse and respiratory therapist, provided 24 hours, seven days a week response to those critically injured. The specialized evacuation skills ensured 100 percent patient survivability.
Those deployed volunteered more than 100 hours in support of the Blood Trans-Shipment Program, the Area of Responsibility sole distribution center. The Airmen ensured lifesaving blood and platelets were shipped.
The unit spearheaded the wing’s self-aid and buddy care program. They identified data and training discrepancies, and developed a course of action that increased the wing’s SABC training from 27 to 97 percent in less than four months.
Mental health personnel from the unit led five self-help groups resulting in more than 50 Veteran Affairs Medical Center residents gaining coping and communication skills, thus improving the quality of life for the veterans.
The Airmen from ASTS are education driven. Thirty-six of the enlisted Airmen assigned to the squadron hold an associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees while another 51 percent have earned undergraduate credits.