Despite the prospects for war looming on the horizon, and with it the potential for many casualties, these deployed medics say they are confident that their training and experiences have prepared them well.
"I feel very confident," said Capt. Jeffrey Combalecer, second flight nurse. "As far as being prepared for tactical missions, we've been doing that at Scott for years.
"We've been working on this for three years," he said, "doing nothing but training, going to classes every year for it. To me, this is a reason we're (prepared for) this mission."
Staff Sgt. Jason Robbins, an AE technician, used a sports analogy to describe the unit's potentially quick shift to a wartime operational mode.
"It's like we're preparing for the big game, constantly training," he said. "When you deploy, the coach pulls you off the bench, and you feel like you're actually making a difference.
"This is probably the most operational experience that anyone will ever get, and here we are, so close to the Iraqi border," Robbins said. "It's just a matter of time before you have to ... switch from the training environment you've grown accustomed to over to an environment where individuals are counting on you to provide the good level of treatment that will be necessary to sustain their life and get them to more definitive care."
Robbins and Palmer were quick to share their favorite aspects of their job lifestyle.
"The camaraderie," Robbins said. "In hospitals, you come in, do your shift, then go home. But in aerovac, you spend so much time together you build up the camaraderie, and it's great."
