For the MEDLITE 12 exercise, members of the North Carolina Air National Guard’s 145th Airlift Wing in Charlotte have been at Thebephatswa AB, Botswana, providing hands-on training to their Botswana Defense Force counterparts in aeromedical evacuation operations. Like the North Carolina Air Guardsmen, the Botswanans operate C-130s. Members of Charlotte’s 156th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron are sharing knowledge about evacuation procedures and how to configure C-130s for AE through classroom instruction and simulated emergencies. The Botswanans have a high degree of professionalism, but they are still obtaining the necessary medical equipment to perform the AE mission, according to an Aug. 13 Air Forces Africa release. “I have no doubts that if the BDF gets the funding for the [aeromedical] equipment, they will do a phenomenal job,” said Maj. Chuck Scronce, a 156th AES flight nurse. MEDLITE 12 began on Aug. 6 and concludes with a mass-casualty exercise on Aug. 14. (Thebephatswa report by TSgt. Chad Thompson)
New Air Force Safety Tool Forecasts Mishap Risk
March 10, 2026
When you check the weather forecast, it can tell you there’s a 40 percent chance of rain for the day based on the barometric pressure, the wind, the humidity, or any number of factors. A new Air Force Safety Center dashboard offers commanders the same kind of outlook, but for mishaps—a forecast that quantifies their units’ risk level based on dozens of…