CAMP DWYER, Afghanistan - For members of Company C, 1st Battalion, 169th Aviation Regiment, a medical evacuation unit comprised of Guard units from Georgia, Maryland and Tennessee, landing and taking off in the sandy environment of Afghanistan could be a challenge.
Known as "dust landings" and "dust take-offs," a MEDEVAC pilot's visibility is drastically reduced when the down-wash of his UH-60 Black Hawk blows loose sand into the air, forming a cloud that can make evacuations difficult and dangerous for the crew.
"Dust landings are one of the most dangerous things we have to do during MEDEVAC missions, so we are spending extra time training on that before they assume the mission," said Chief Warrant Officer 5 Joseph Roland, the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade standardizations instructor pilot.
Roland travelled to Camp Dwyer to conduct training with the C/1-169th so that pilots would be comfortable with these difficult landings and take-offs before they assumed their mission in mid April.
MEDEVAC units with UH-60s have some of the fastest response times on the globe, from the time they receive a call to when they deliver the wounded personnel to the nearest medical facility, and maintain a one-hour standard to accomplish this task – often referred to as the golden hour.
"The unit is a good group, from all walks of life, both young and old, but one thing they have in common is they are all motivated to be here," Roland said.
Some of the Guard members have worked in these conditions before, and agreed that the training was very helpful and appreciated.
"I served with the 25th CAB in Iraq," said Army Sgt. Dezuani Giovanni, C/1-169th, a Tennessee Army National Guard member. "They have always given us good support and this time the 25th CAB has been very interactive with us from the top down."
The C/1-169th is currently providing MEDEVAC support across Afghanistan's Regional Command - Southwest.