The strategy of modern aeromedical evacuations

If you haven't seen it yet, this is another in a series of excellent articles about aeromedical evacuations from the Washington Post. This one covers the strategy behind (and the logistics involved in) moving even the most critically Wounded Warriors from theater as quickly as possible.

In the civilian world, victims of car accidents and gunshots hope to get to a hospital that can save their life - and then stay there. The military strategy is pretty much the opposite - and is, paradoxically, part of the reason the care of soldiers wounded in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars has been so successful.

In both those theaters, the military has placed a few extremely sophisticated hospitals very close to the battlefield. Within a few hours of being wounded, casualties can reach neurosurgeons, maxillofacial surgeons, interventional radiologists, ophthalmologists and intensivists - specialists that previously were farther "up-range" and days away.

Advanced care so close to the fight is feasible only if casualties don't fill up the hospitals and prevent new ones from coming in. To keep that from happening, patients are moved within hours of being treated.

This report also follows the fate of one critically injured Warrior who didn't make it all the way home. Make sure to view the accompanying photo gallery.

On Thanksgiving, Angels Thankful for Bloggers

On Thanksgiving, Angels Thankful for Bloggers

Online Fundraiser Means Technology for Wounded Troops

PASADENA, Calif., Nov. 24, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On Thanksgiving Day, military support nonprofit Soldiers' Angels gives thanks for a coalition of bloggers who raised nearly $100,000 for severely wounded veterans in November. The funds support the organization's Project Valour-IT, which supplies voice-controlled laptops and other adaptive technology to aid the recovery and independence of wounded servicemembers.

Since its inception in 2005, the Valour-IT online fundraiser has become an annual event. The project began when active-duty military blogger (milblogger) Chuck Ziegenfuss was wounded but wanted to continue to blog despite severe hand injuries. Following recognition that the technology existed to do so and that many Americans wanted to help others in Chuck's situation, Project Valour-IT was born under the auspices of Soldiers' Angels.

Using the Internet to raise funds for the new project was a natural fit. Chuck's fellow milbloggers teamed up along military service branch lines for an online fundraising competition leading up to Veterans Day, relying on friendly rivalries between the branches to motivate their efforts. Bloggers of all types soon joined them, including prominent pundits and broadcasters. Over the last five years the annual fundraisers have resulted in nearly one million dollars for Valour-IT.

"The charitable landscape of the Internet is amazing," says Soldiers' Angels Executive Director Toby Nunn. "10 years ago we didn't have the technology to raise money through ventures like this, let alone have the technology that we're raising the money for. These adaptive technologies and the heroes that benefit from them continue to inspire those that blog and surf the Information Superhighway, making this fundraiser relevant, fitting and rewarding."

Nunn has high praise for the bloggers themselves. "This small, dedicated group of milbloggers who get the message out—driven by their steadfast belief in helping those like them and the profound Internet fellowship that binds them—achieve amazing feats. This recurring fundraiser is a prime example."

Over the years, Project Valour-IT has provided nearly 6,000 laptops for wounded troops, as well as GPS devices for those with memory loss due to injury, and Wii game systems that are used in physical therapy sessions.

Soldiers' Angels is an award-winning 501(c)(3) with hundreds of thousands of volunteers providing aid and comfort to members of the U.S. Armed Forces, veterans and military families through a wide variety of hands-on projects and volunteerism. For more information, visit www.soldiersangels.org or call 615-676-0239.


SOURCE Soldiers' Angels

Soldiers' Angels & BAE Help Military Families Send Care Packages

Soldiers' Angels & BAE Help Military Families Send Care Packages

Documentarian Chronicles Both Sides of Deployment Experience

FT. CAMPBELL, Ky., Nov. 20, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --For the second year in a row, Operation Patriot Care Package, spearheaded by documentarian Michael Slee, is connecting deployed soldiers and their families while chronicling deployment from both sides of military life -- the homefront and the frontlines. This time, Soldiers' Angels and defense contractor BAE Systems have joined the team to show military families and their soldiers how much support they have from their fellow Americans.

On Monday, volunteers and staff from Soldiers' Angels and BAE joined families of deployed soldiers from Ft. Campbell to stuff Holiday care packages and give the families an opportunity to spend time with each other as people going through the same challenges. This is the first step in a process of following the experiences of both the deployed soldiers and their families at home, which is a surprise for the unit itself and includes Slee's trip to Afghanistan this morning to film them.

"I come from a military family," says Slee. "I know what it's like when Dad's gone and Mom is 'Dad.'" Recognizing that unlike their deployed heroes, the families at home don't always have a mission to distract them from the pain and fear of deployment, Slee created Operation Patriot Care Package to "give the families a mission and bring them together with people who understand -- that's the purpose behind the effort. Not only do they fill packages, but via video they see the arrival and opening of the packages, and how much the gifts are appreciated."

The project's goal is already partially realized, according to military wife Jessica, who attended the packing event. "It's an amazing experience to know that we're able to contribute… It makes us feel good to think that they're going to have a smile on their faces over there," she says.

Slee spent three days with the families, documenting their homefront experiences and covering a family with a soldier on leave. Video from the families and the packing activities are distributed by PathFire and additional video will be available throughout Slee's trip, with the full documentary to come. Updates will be posted regularly at patriotcarepackage.com.

Soldiers' Angels is an award-winning 501(c)(3) with hundreds of thousands of volunteers providing aid and comfort to members of the U.S. Armed Forces, veterans and military families through a wide variety of hands-on projects and volunteerism. For more information: www.soldiersangels.org or 615-676-0239.

SOURCE Soldiers' Angels




Here are some video clips of the event.

A father's love

A father wipes a tear from his child's face during a Medevac mission in southern Afghanistan's Helmand province. The child was injured by an explosion. Peter Andrews, Reuters / November 12, 2010.

Staff Sgt. Sal Giunta Medal of Honor Ceremony today

The first living soldier to receive the Medal of Honor since Vietnam tells CBS's Lara Logan in an emotional interview just what he did to earn the nation's highest combat honor and how the recognition makes him uncomfortable.

Make sure to watch Staff Sgt. Sal Giunta receive the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry today at 2pm ET in East Room of the White House. A live stream will be here.

"The Right Reason"

Have you ever had an experience where you are so overwhelmed, that you were at a loss for words?

Taco of the Sandgram writes about his experiences at the fifth annual “Tribute to the troops” get together in this must-read story, For “The Right Reason”: Taking care of our Wounded Troops.

Marine Corporal Todd Nicely - A Wounded Warrior's Story

March 26, 2010. Cpl. Todd Nicely is leading a patrol in southern Afghanistan with 12 Marines of the 1st Squad, 1st Platoon, Company F, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marines.

Lance Cpl. Felix Camarillo, 19, of Los Angeles was third in line, behind Nicely and the platoon's commander, Lt. Brian J. McGrath Jr., 27, of Glenside, Pa., who was along to interact with locals.

Camarillo saw Nicely engulfed in dust and debris. "Nice!" he yelled.

The explosion knocked down the whole patrol, Camarillo said.

McGrath tried to quickly sweep the area with a metal detector to make sure there were no other bombs. But there were so many fragments on the ground that he threw the detector aside and rushed to Nicely.

The blast had blown off Nicely's helmet and flak jacket.

He looked awful.

"I almost lost it," Camarillo said. "There were bones sticking out... His right leg was just completely gone. His left hand was gone."

Much of his right arm was also gone and his left leg was barely attached, other Marines remembered.

He also had a wound that looked like shrapnel had gone through the bottom of his jaw and come out his left cheek and an abdominal wound with part of his bowel protruding, his friends said.

Camarillo and Lance Cpl. Sean Harrigan, 19, of Methuen, Mass., who were trained to treat combat trauma, put tourniquets on what remained of Nicely's limbs to stop the bleeding.

A strapping corpsman, Jerrod Francis, 21, of Louisville, sprinted over from another squad and went to work on the other wounds. He was amazed that Nicely's vital signs were decent.

Nicely recalled: "I remember... thinking to myself... 'Just keep breathing so you can get back to your wife.' "

Michael E. Ruane of the Washington Post does a terrific job telling the story of the day Cpl. Todd Nicely got hurt, how his fellow Marines saved his life, and of his subsequent progress. One of the things I like best about it is that he captures not just Todd's spirit, but that of his wife Crystal. Because there's more than one Hero in this story.


Previous:

Marine Corporal Todd Nicely becomes honorary firefighter
Marine Corporal Todd Nicely comes home
The Prince and the Marine
Marine Corporal Todd Nicely update
"They got me home"
One of our Marines could use your prayers

Valour-IT - Thank you

Since 2004, Soldiers' Angels has been on site supporting wounded and ill service members aeromedically evacuated to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center for evaluation and stabilization before being transferred for continued care at military medical facilities in the US (or, in some cases, returned to duty downrange).

During that time, tens of thousands of patients have transitioned through Landstuhl after a short stay of just a few days. Many arrive able to walk, but others arrive on life support and leave the same way. And sometimes, families are flown here to say goodbye to their Hero who subsequently makes his final journey home in a flag-draped transfer case.

We never know what happens to most of our patients after they leave Germany and cannot afford to dwell on it - because new ones immediately arrive to take their places. They, too, deserve the undivided attention of our caregivers.

Our comfort is found in the faith we have that our fellow Americans back home will care for them as we have here.

The annual Valour-IT online fundraiser began in 2005, taking the form of a "competition" between blogging teams representing the 4 service branches - Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. All donations go into one fund which is of course used for members of all services. Here are the unofficial results of the 2010 online fundraiser.

Team MARINE: $38,470
Team ARMY: $26,505
Team NAVY: $12,127
Team AIR FORCE: $9,224
Unassigned: $7,546

2010 (unofficial) TOTAL: $93,872

The Soldiers' Angels Germany blog was once again proud to be a member of Valour-IT Team MARINE, which raised the most funds due to the dedication and leadership of our Team leaders, Cassy Fiano and Carrie of Villainous Company, and the extraordinary support of the Marine Corps family.

On behalf of our Wounded Warriors, I would like to thank all of the Valour-IT bloggers and their readers for their patriotism and for their generous support of Project Valour-IT.

Veterans Day at the Soldiers' Angels Support Center

Miss San Antonio helps award Valour-IT laptops to some of our Wounded Warriors.

100 Valour-IT laptops ready to be awarded.

Wounded Warrior receives Valour-IT laptop from a Veteran of another war.





Volunteers from Bank of America assemble care packages for deployed troops.

And here they are, ready to go!


These photos and many more at Soldiers' Angels co-founder Jeff Bader's Facebook page, who says, "Today I had the honor of being with Heroes and Angels. What a great day! I hope you enjoy the pictures. Special thanks to Amy Palmer, Bank Of America, Mission Serve, La Quinta and so many others. Huge Hooaaah and angel wing hug to San Antonio Triad! 100 Laptops to 100 wounded heroes! Happy Veterans Day All."

More about today's event here.


* * *

Today, Veterans Day, is the last day of the annual online Valour-IT fundraiser. As a someone who has met many of our Wounded Warriors, I would like to thank all of our donors and bloggers for their generous support.

If you haven't donated yet, there's still time.

Home of the Free because of the Brave

Today we honor all of our veterans, past and present, who have served in defense of our nation. To those who have suffered the wounds of battle, we can never repay the sacrifices you have made. God bless you all, and God bless America: Home of the Free because of the Brave.



Thanks to CJ for the video.