JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-Lackland, Texas -- The Air Force Recruiting Physician Influencer tour visited Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas July 12, 2018, to see the capabilities of the 59th Medical Wing’s Critical Care Air Transport Team and how they train with Reserve Citizen Airmen from the 433rd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron.

The tour, sponsored by the U.S. Air Force Recruiting Service, JBSA-Randolph brought 21 pre-med, medical school, and residency influencers here to increase awareness of military health care professions and opportunities offered by joining the Air Force or Air Force Reserve.

“This is an investment in the future of Air Force medicine, which includes the CCATT,” Maj. Mark Cheney, 59th Medical Wing, En-route Critical Care Pilot Unit Director, said. “These community influencers will share what they see with young physicians and premedical students, who will then be better informed in their career planning.”

The CCATT team is capable of transporting critically ill patients from any location in the world to a higher level of care on a variety of military aircraft. A team consists of a physician, a registered nurse, and a respiratory therapist. A typical patient could be a Service member, dependents, civilian contractor, foreign national and sometimes, humanitarian missions like those performed after Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria in 2017.

The group received a mission briefing by Majors Cheney with the 59th MDW and Carolyn Stateczny, operations flight commander with the 433rd AES, prior to flight.

The airlift was provided by the 437th Airlift Wing from Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, aboard a C-17 Globemaster III. The CCATT had an automated patient simulator and three civilian volunteers from the group who portrayed patients being evacuated on the aircraft.

“The medical community influencers received the most value as they have never flown on a military aircraft before and are now more aware of what a physician can do in the Air Force,” Stateczny said. “They also are aware now that a nurse with a BSN can become a reservist and become a flight nurse or they can join the active duty Air Force and become a CCATT nurse.”

Not only was the mission valuable as far as showcasing Air Force medical skills, it also was a chance for active duty and reservists to train together.

“Any opportunity to get our hands on CCATT equipment and simulate a mission is beneficial,” Cheney said. “Today's flight has been particularly helpful given how extensive it is - we have been able to work with the En Route Patient Staging System (ERPSS), the Reserve Citizen Airmen Aeromedical Evacuation (AE) Units, as well as the C-17 front end crew in transporting and providing care for a simulated patient. This helps to develop and reinforce critical skills which will be used in real missions for all involved.”

The ability to train for a CCATT mission was valuable for the Reserve Citizen Airmen. They do not get a chance to train for this type of mission until they deploy, so an opportunity to train prior is invaluable according to Stateczny.

“This crew is young and have not been flying for very long,” she said. “Some of the crew members have never flown with a CCATT before. They are now familiar with how to configure the aircraft before receiving the CCATT patient. They learned how to set up electrical and oxygen systems for the critical patient, and how to communicate the needs from the CCATT to have the aircraft prepared before the patient's arrival.”

The influencers saw how patients are treated and how Airmen unite to care for them until they can get to a higher level of care. It is training missions like that which create memories they will take back and tell other professionals that a career in military medicine is rewarding and invaluable to their medical careers.

“This is a great opportunity for them,” said Dr. Kevin Wilson, Director of Clinical Affairs from the Idaho College of Medicine. “It’s a great opportunity to work for the greater good, and there’s a togetherness amongst the people in the Air Force.”

Wilson hopes to steer some of his medical students doing their residencies toward working at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. The tour exposed him to qualities he believes would be a good fit for his residents.

“For someone with an adventurous spirit who might want to see other parts of the world and work with the latest in technology and with a great group of people,” he said.

The civilian influencers were able to see active duty and Reserve Citizen Airmen train together, and to Stateczny, this is a beneficial experience.

“This was a great training experience from all sides involved,” Stateczny said. “Since this was the first time this type of training has been done, involving civilian influencers, we now know for next time what to expect and how to make the experience for the next group even better.”

Civilian medical influencers on a tour like this will have an impact on Air Force medical careers. CCATT training missions with assistance from aeromedical evacuation teams will increase awareness of military health care careers and occupations offered by joining the Air Force or Air Force Reserve, according to Cheney.

“The physician pathway can be complex and challenging, and it is interesting to learn the role these influencers play in helping guide others along that path,” Cheney said.