Airmen from various units who make up the 791st Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron at Ramstein AB, Germany, routinely fly six aeromedical evacuation missions a week to Iraq and Afghanistan. The airmen of 791st fly troops with serious injuries to Landstuhl, Germany, making it possible for them to receive the necessary follow-on treatment within 12 hours. Overall, Air Force medevac teams in 2006 transported 9,860 total patients, including 2,354 critical patients from Iraq and Afghanistan. From the start of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan in October 2001, USAF has airlifted nearly 39,000 patients from the region.
Airmen basic rarely go on to become four-star generals, but one who did retired last week after a 42 year career that saw him rise from a lowly slick-sleeve to the head of one of the Air Force’s most important major commands.