Medical scenarios create high-stress situations for Air Force personnel tending to patients. Aeromedical evacuation members must carry out these tasks with the added pressure of being in the air.

“Our job is to bring our service members home,” said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Miguel Vasquez Leyva, 18th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, aeromedical evacuation technician. “Our responsibility is to bring people in bad situations, potentially experiencing the worst day of their life, and reunite them with their loved ones. We take great pride in ensuring the safe return of our service members.”

Flight nurses and medical technicians are the main aircrew members who fly with the sick and injured, while communications personnel, medical administrators, logistics members, and a variety of other ground personnel ensure that the aircrew has the equipment and information they need to care for their patients safely during transport.

“One of the positive aspects of AE is its high level of interoperability,” said Leyva. “We can collaborate with different squadrons to provide assistance and fill in gaps when they have shortages, and reciprocally others come to our aid. There’s a strong sense of cooperation within the AE community.”

The 18th AES is the sole aeromedical evacuation unit in the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, supporting 24/7 patient movement capabilities for internal and external theater missions.

“The Air Force is the only service that provides aeromedical evacuation,” said U.S. Air Force Capt Jessica Springer, 18th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, flight nurse. “ Army, Navy, Coast Guard, Marines, they don’t have an aeromedical evacuation. They might have something similar like, PJs and stuff like that, but in terms of what we do, we’re the only ones.

Having such a specialized and unique job also affects the individuals executing it on a human level over the years.

“Everyone benefits from these initiatives,” said Leyva. “Our cultural and military alliances are strengthened, our techniques and tactics are improved, language skills are exercised, and we grow personally, too.”