US and Kyrgyz military medical personnel last month gathered at the Transit Center at Manas to discuss aeromedical evacuations as part of a broader effort to exchange information and build stronger ties. The meeting involved an overview of flight medicine, a presentation regarding stressors of flight on the human body, and a hands-on assessment and preparation of a simulated patient for evacuation, according to a March 28 Manas release. “It was very interesting because we have not experienced evacuation by plane or helicopter,” said Col. Abakir Abdurahmanov, Kyrgyz deputy commander of the Bishkek military hospital, of the March 18 exchange. “A lot of the information was new for us. Now we have some knowledge of aerospace medicine,” he added. US medics plan to meet with the Kyrgyz personnel on a monthly basis to discuss aeromedevac as part of their regular exchanges. “This is just the first step,” said Lt. Col. Robert Lehman, flight surgeon with Manas’ 376th Expeditionary Medical Group. “We never know where these things will lead us.” (Manas report by TSgt. Rachel Martinez)
“Military history shows that the best defense is almost always a maneuvering offense supported by solid logistics. This was true for mechanized land warfare, air combat, and naval operations since World War II. It will also be true as the world veers closer to military conflict in space,” writes Aidan…