A proud heritage of caring
By Kimberly Parker, 86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
/ Published April 13, 2015
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Capt. Erin Wood, flight nurse with the 86th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, crouches in front of her medical training equipment March 27, 2015 at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. Wood joined the Air Force to pursue her passion of taking care of people. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Kimberly Parker)
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Capt. Dallas Hansen, an 86th Medical Squadron surgeon with Tactical Critical Care Evacuation Team - Enhanced, known as “TCCET-E” for short, performs a mock in-flight surgery during a training flight with the 86th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron March 26, 2015, above Ramstein Air Base, Germany. The exercise scenario was performed on board a 37th Airlift Squadron C-130J Super Hercules to help perfect the potentially new TCCET-E capability which gives the 86th AES and flight surgeons the ability to do quick, critical surgeries as fast as possible while in transit to a hospital. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Sara Keller)
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Capt. Dallas Hansen, an 86th Medical Squadron surgeon with Tactical Critical Care Evacuation Team - Enhanced, known as “TCCET-E” for short, performs a mock in-flight surgery during a training flight with the 86th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron March 26, 2015, above Ramstein Air Base, Germany. The exercise scenario was performed on board a 37th Airlift Squadron C-130J Super Hercules to help perfect the potentially new TCCET-E capability which gives the 86th AES and flight surgeons the ability to do quick, critical surgeries as fast as possible while in transit to a hospital. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Sara Keller)
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Maj. Gen. Dorothy A. Hogg , director, Medical Operations and Research Office of the Surgeon General, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, listens to a flight nurse from the 86th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron March 26, 2015, above Ramstein Air Base, Germany. Hogg observed members of the 86th AES and Tactical Critical Care Evacuation Team - Enhanced during a training flight on board a C-130J Super Hercules from the 37th Airlift Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Sara Keller)
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Senior Airman Carlos Sanchez-Perez, Critical Care Air Transport Team respiratory technician, stabilizes a simulated patient during a training flight with the 86th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron March 26, 2015, above Ramstein Air Base, Germany. The exercise scenario was performed on board a 37th Airlift Squadron C-130J Super Hercules to help perfect the potentially new TCCET-E capability, which gives the 86th AES and flight surgeons the ability to do quick, critical surgeries as fast as possible while in transit to a hospital. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Sara Keller)
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Maj. Gen. Dorothy A. Hogg , director, Medical Operations and Research Office of the Surgeon General, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, listens to a flight nurse from the 86th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron March 26, 2015, above Ramstein Air Base, Germany. Hogg observed members of the 86th AES and Tactical Critical Care Evacuation Team - Enhanced during a training flight on board a C-130J Super Hercules from the 37th Airlift Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Sara Keller)
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Maj. Gen. Dorothy A. Hogg, director, Medical Operations and Research Office of the Surgeon General, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, listens as she is briefed by Staff Sgt. Alicia Clark, 86th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron AE technician, March 26, 2015, above Ramstein Air Base, Germany. Hogg observed members of the 86th AES and Tactical Critical Care Evacuation Team — Enhanced during a training flight on board a C-130J Super Hercules. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Sara Keller)
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Lt. Col. Bonnie Stevenson, 86th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron chief flight nurse, speaks with a fellow 86th AES teammate during a training flight with the Tactical Critical Care Evacuation Team — Enhanced, known as “TCCET-E”, March 26, 2015, above Ramstein Air Base, Germany. The 86th AES is responsible for providing aeromedical evacuation for U.S. troops throughout U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa's area of responsibility and operate in a multitude of air frames and conditions. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Sara Keller)
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany --
She always had a desire to help those in need. From volunteering at the hospital to helping her mom provide in-home nursing care, the young humanitarian continually strived to improve the area around her, but she wanted to do more.
Now, a flight nurse with the 86th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, Capt. Erin Wood has taken her passion to new heights by aiding others around the world.
"Through being a nurse I've gotten to see the whole picture of how [the Air Force] cares for our people," said Wood. "We care for Airman on every level and will send a whole crew out to ensure one is cared for."
Like Woods, Maj. Gen. Dorothy Hogg, Deputy Surgeon General and Chief of the Air Force Nurse Corps, shares the same type of passion and had the opportunity to see how great the 86th AE mission is during a visit here.
"We care, that is what we are all about," said Hogg. "Nursing is a discipline where we don't look at a disease process, we look at the patient and how we can care for that patient who just happens to have a certain disease."
Hogg pointed out that in the beginning, the majority of nursing care took place in a brick and mortar facility or a bedded facility. However, today care can take place anywhere.
"We are able to provide quality care anywhere," she said. "We are on the ground, in the air, deployed with our troops or even on humanitarian missions."
The nurse corps today is often referred to as a "total nursing force," which is a corps of active duty, reserve, guard, civilian and contract nurses who partner together to take care of patients, Hogg stated. And care today is provided to not just active duty members, but to patients around the world.
Wood recalled a proud moment in her career in which she helped transport a dependent patient who had a rare genetic disease and the outlook for survival was grim. She flew with the patient for two days straight to get them where they needed to be.
"It meant a lot to me because it wasn't about the end result," Wood said. "It was about taking care of our own."
The Air Force Nurse Corps started with one enlisted and five officer specialties. Today, there are over 18,000 active duty, guard, reserve, civilian and contract men and women serving across 34 career specialties.
"A young nurse coming into the Air Force can be any type of nurse they want to be; operating room, obstetrics, intensive care unit, you name it and we are there," said Hogg.
While there is no way to predict the future, Hogg feels confident that the future is bright for the nurse corps.
"When I am done and have to hang up the uniform amazing things will continue on because that is what our Airmen strive for," she said.
Whether it is on a battlefield or in a traditional facility, Wood states she is proud to be part of a legacy of service and is excited to continue her passion in aiding others around the world.