GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind. -- The 434th Air Refueling Wing recently configured a KC-135R Stratotanker to support Exercise Patriot Medic 25, at Grissom Air Reserve Base, Ind. Patriot Medic is the Air Force Reserve’s top annual medical readiness training event, which took place Aug. 1-15.
Grissom was originally intended to have a smaller role in the exercise. However, last-minute changes led planners to look for a new training site and Grissom’s role in the exercise evolved.
Airmen with the 434th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron arranged the KC-135’s interior for aeromedical evacuation, a vastly different mission from the aerial refueling that the KC-135 normally performs. This change requires substantial logistics, planning and manpower, highlighting the aircraft’s flexibility.
“Configuring this aircraft is a big deal,” said Chief Master Sgt. David Engelhardt, 434th AMXS superintendent. “Different missions require different interior configurations. It takes an hour and a half to two hours to configure, and during that time, you have to move multiple boxes that weigh upwards of 120 pounds.”
434th AMXS Airmen worked on reorganizing the interior of the KC-135 for medical equipment, while also moving necessary resources on and off the aircraft.
“We start by breaking down what we have in the aircraft,” said Engelhardt. “Then move it or offload it, after which we load on resources to build tie-down boxes, oxygen models, gurneys, and more.”
When configured, the KC-135 will be able to support 15 patients, along with a crew of three medical technicians and two flight nurses.
“We can make that team bigger or smaller,” said Maj. Sarabeth Hershey, aeromedical evacuation control team evaluator. “There’s a lot of flexibility, depending on the length of the mission.”
Normally, a KC-135 can support 37 passengers, along with the crew. However, space must be made for injured passengers who cannot sit upright.
“If a patient can’t be in a seat, they need to lie on a stretcher,” said Hershey. “It’s kind of like a battle between seats and stretchers. The more stretchers you have impacts how many seats you’ll have. There’s a lot of strategy to it.”
Every inch of the KC-135’s interior is utilized in its newfound medical mission. The KC-135 configuration requires meticulous planning to maintain mission readiness while maximizing interior space and ensuring adequate resources for medical evacuation missions.
“We work with an aeromedical evacuation control team,” said Hershey. “They figure out if there is a KC-135 available, if there’s a C-17 available, how many stretchers we have and how it can get out of the aircraft.”
The 434th Air Refueling Wing is the largest KC-135R Stratotanker unit in the Air Force Reserve Command.