PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - After the town of Greensburg, Kan., was flattened by a tornado a few years ago, Kansas Air National Guard engineers were there to clear the roads and set up Expeditionary Medical Support (EMEDS) hospital.
Because of that experience, the engineers from the 190th Air Refueling Wing were better prepared for what they had to do in Haiti.
"We did mock set ups, a lot of training, but Greensburg was the first real world situation for us to use EMEDS," said Master Sgt. Brian Wohletz.
Greensburg also gave the civil engineers a realistic expectation of how quickly they could begin operations in Haiti. The medical team, who took over EMEDS, spent two days setting up one tent before the Kansas engineers arrived.
They set up a functional EMEDS in a matter of hours.
As Master Sgt. Carren Christianson's team finished, the medical commander approached them and declared, "Do you realize what you've just done? You've built a hospital."
The team was more thoroughly self-sufficient in Haiti. They had to provide their own power, their own water and their own supplies.
Lt. Col. Mark Green, commander of the Kansas engineers, said he is proud of the adaptability of his Airmen.
"They've learned how to better evolve into a productive team," he said. "It's rewarding to me, as a commander, to see how well they respond. We've proven we're not only valuable for domestic response, but also international."