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Transfer a first for Iraqi air force

Less than two months after its first aeromedical mission, the Iraqi air force has performed its first double-patient transfer.

An IAF C-130 with an all-Iraqi crew transported two patients at once from the 28th Combat Support Hospital to an Iraqi medical facility in Erbil on May 8.

Both of the evacuees were Iraqi soldiers from northern Iraq, stationed in Baghdad, who had suffered abdominal wounds and had undergone abdominal surgery in the U.S. hospital.

“The Iraqi's ability to ‘care for their own’ is much greater than is typically reported,” said Maj. Timothy Doherty, Task Force 3rd Medical Command Aeromedical advisor. “The doctors and pilots that conducted these missions are very experienced.”

The Iraqi pilots and crew have been training with the Coalition Air Force Transition Team for about two years for aeromedical missions.

“This is an important step because it demonstrates the use of Iraqi military assets in casualty evacuation, and paves the way for more robust casualty and medical evacuation systems in the future,” said Col. (Dr.) John J. Lammie, deputy commander for clinical services of the 28th. “These are crucial steps to identify and improve processes that can endure after the departure of Coalition Forces.”

The next step is for the Iraqis to train their first crew of flight medics, Doherty said. No timeline was announced for such training.