[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 132 (Tuesday, September 28, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H7002-H7003]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECOGNIZING MILITARY MEDICAL AND AIR CREWS
Mr. CRITZ. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the
resolution (H. Res. 1605) recognizing the service of the medical and
air crews in helping our wounded warriors make the expeditious and safe
trip home to the United States and commending the personnel of the Air
Force for their commitment to the well-being of all our service men and
women, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 1605
Whereas aeromedical evacuation by the Air Force is part of
an integrated combat casualty care system that includes
front-line medics and Corpsmen of the Army, Navy, and Air
Force, as well as medical evacuation and casualty evacuation
by Army, Navy, and Marine Corps flight, air ambulance, and
ground ambulance crews;
Whereas aeromedical evacuation missions provide support for
all of the Armed Forces;
Whereas, since September 11, 2001, the aeromedical
evacuation system has moved over 81,000 patients, including
almost 14,000 battle-injured soldiers;
Whereas troops wounded in Operation Enduring Freedom and
Operation Iraqi Freedom reach United States military
hospitals out of theater in 30 hours on average;
Whereas the majority of patients are normally flown to
Ramstein Air Base in Germany, and then to appropriate care
facilities in the United States;
Whereas our wounded troops arrive at United States
hospitals in an average of 3 days;
Whereas now troops wounded in Operation Enduring Freedom
and Operation Iraqi Freedom arrive at United States hospitals
on average 7 days faster than they did during Operation
Desert Storm and over 40 days faster than during the Vietnam
conflict;
Whereas yielding a survival rate of 98 percent for wounded
service members by adopting a new strategy of rapid
evacuation from the battlefield, critical care air transport
teams provide care that has resulted in the lowest mortality
rate of any war in United States history;
Whereas aeromedical evacuation is a Total Force effort
which includes Active Duty, Reserve, and Air National Guard
members;
Whereas there are 18 Air Force Reserve squadrons, 10
National Guard squadrons, and 4 Active Duty squadrons;
Whereas the aeromedical evacuation system is comprised of
aeromedical evacuation crews, aeromedical staging facilities,
aeromedical liaison teams, support and communications
personnel, and command and control teams;
Whereas the Air Force has up to 500 aeromedical evacuation,
aeromedical staging, aeromedical liaison, support,
communications, and command and control personnel deployed to
Afghanistan, to Iraq, in Europe, and in the United States, as
part of the team providing care and helping ensure that
wounded soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines get safely
home to their families;
Whereas a normal aeromedical evacuation crew is composed of
2 flight nurses and 3 technicians;
Whereas a normal critical care air transport team, composed
of a critical care physician, critical care nurse, and a
respiratory technician, augments an aeromedical evacuation
crew when ICU level patients are transported; and
Whereas Air Mobility Command plays a crucial role in
providing humanitarian support at home and around the world:
Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) recognizes the service of the medical and air crews in
helping our wounded warriors make the expeditious and safe
trip home to the United States; and
(2) commends the personnel of the Air Force for their
commitment to the well-being of all our service men and
women.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Pennsylvania (Mr. Critz) and the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr.
Jones) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
General Leave
Mr. CRITZ. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have
5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on
the resolution under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Pennsylvania?
There was no objection.
Mr. CRITZ. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1605,
recognizing the service of the medical and aircrews in helping our
wounded warriors make the expeditious and safe trip home to the United
States and commending the personnel of the Air Force for their
commitment to the well-being of all our servicemen and -women.
I would like to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Thompson)
for bringing this resolution before the House.
Mr. Speaker, twice a week, those of us who have south-facing offices
in the Cannon, Longworth and Rayburn House Office Buildings can
sometimes catch a glimpse of something subtle but something altogether
awe-inspiring. Every once in a while, we can see the arresting
silhouette of a C-17 in a flight pattern towards Andrews Air Force Base
in the final few minutes of the journey home for some of America's
wounded warriors. Twice per week, on schedule, these aeromedical crews
bring our wounded servicemembers home right here to the National
Capital Area after having fallen ill or having suffered injury during
an already difficult deployment overseas. This powerful image is part
of a much larger system.
The Air Force has up to 500 aeromedical personnel deployed to
Afghanistan, Iraq, in Europe, and in the United States as part of the
team providing care and helping to ensure that wounded soldiers,
sailors, airmen, and marines get safely home to their families. It
takes an average of 3 days for wounded troops to arrive at hospitals in
the United States. This is over 40 days faster than during the Vietnam
war. We have Air Force aeromedical evacuation to thank for being the
transportation spine of the effort to bring our ill and injured men and
women home as safely and as quickly as possible.
Ultimately, aeromedical evacuation by the Air Force is part of an
integrated combat casualty care system that includes front-line medics
and corpsmen of the Army, Navy and Air Force, as well as medical
evacuation and casualty evacuation by Army, Navy and Marine Corps
flight, air ambulance and ground ambulance crews.
We owe our sincerest gratitude to each and every person in this
system who has yielded an extraordinary 98 percent survival rate for
wounded servicemembers.
So, Mr. Speaker, if you are ever facing south on the Hill and see a
C-17 on the horizon, you might now just sigh in relief because it might
be one of our aeromedical evacuation transports bringing our wounded
warriors home to receive world-class medical care.
I urge my colleagues to support House Resolution 1605.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. JONES. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 1605, as amended,
recognizing the service of the military medical and aircrews who help
our wounded warriors return home quickly and safely and commending the
members of the Air Force for their commitment to our service men and
women.
I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Thompson) for introducing
this resolution.
The key to our having our men and women survive after being wounded
in combat is immediate medical care, followed by the quick and safe
evacuation from the battlefield. No one does this better than the
United States military.
Mr. Speaker, today's combat casualty care system is a complex,
integrated effort that brings a wounded
[[Page H7003]]
servicemember from the point of injury on the battlefield to the most
sophisticated medical treatment available in the world. All of the
military services have a role in this effort--from front-line medics
who treat our casualties to the ambulance and aircrews who provide
critical transportation to the next level of medical care. We owe our
utmost gratitude to all of the dedicated individuals who have a part in
this lifesaving endeavor.
But today we specifically recognize the men and women of the United
States Air Force. Their commitment to excellence has raised aeromedical
evaluation to an unprecedented level of success. One only has to travel
to Andrews Air Force Base to witness firsthand the care, compassion and
love given to our returning wounded. The Air Force pilots, crew chiefs,
doctors, nurses, and medics have worked tirelessly to bring the wounded
safely home.
I urge my colleagues who have not had that opportunity to watch the
Air Force unloading these medical transport planes to go out to Andrews
and see it. It is truly unforgettable. I have been out there myself,
and I must say that it is heartwarming and a humbling experience to see
this fine work done by the United States Air Force in the care for
these wounded.
Mr. Speaker, I join all of my colleagues to honor the military
medical personnel and aircrews whose skills and professionalism ensure
that our wounded warriors return home quickly and safely. I, therefore,
strongly urge all Members to support this resolution.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. CRITZ. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Critz) that the House suspend the
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1605, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the resolution, as amended, was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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