[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 12]
[House]
[Pages 16755-16756]
[From the U.S. 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 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

[[Page 16756]]

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. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of 
House Resolution 1605, which recognizes the service of medical and air 
crews in helping our wounded warriors make the expeditious and safe 
trip home to the United States and commends the personnel of the Air 
Force for their commitment to the well-being of all our service men and 
women.
  The Air Force's Aeromedical Evacuation Squadrons help guarantee that 
our wounded soldiers are quickly reunited with their families and given 
the best medical care in U.S. hospitals. Since September 11, 2001, 
Aeromedical Evacuation flights have been responsible for transporting 
over 81,000 patients from Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation 
Iraqi Freedom, yielding a 98 percent survival rate for injured 
soldiers. Today, a soldier injured on the battlefield in Afghanistan or 
Iraq will be back in an American hospital in an average of three days. 
This is over seven days faster than during Operation Desert Storm and 
over 40 days quicker than during the conflict in Vietnam.
  As a veteran who was wounded in Vietnam, I was flown into Travis Air 
Force Base in Northern California. Travis Air Force Base is now home to 
the 349th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron. These physicians, nurses and 
medical technicians go above and beyond the call of duty every day.
  I am honored to bring this resolution to the floor and remain 
committed to supporting our Armed Forces.
  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my support for H. 
Res 1605, a bill 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.
  These physicians, nurses, technicians, and flight air crews represent 
squadrons of the Air Force Reserve, Air Force National Guard, and Air 
Force Active Duty. I thank my colleague, Congressman Mike Thompson, for 
introducing this bill, which gives us the opportunity to pay tribute to 
the dynamic support these crews provide to our troops. We commend these 
Air Force members for their commitment to the well-being of all our 
service men and women.
  Aeromedical services are essential to the success of our Armed 
Forces, contributing to a survival rate of 98 percent--the lowest 
mortality rate of any war in U.S. history. Medical and air personnel 
closely tend to the urgent medical needs of our troops ensuring that 
they return home with their lives intact. We salute them.
  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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