Page 5 - Desert Lightning News So. AZ Edition, Oct 5 2018

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Antarctica airlift saves lives
Hey! Must be the Money!
The 355th Comptroller Squadron Financial Services Office is here to help you get paid. Members who PCS to Davis Monthan Air Force Base need to visit CPTS (same build- ing as the fighter wing staff, 1st Floor) at 1 p.m. the first Monday after arriving. No ap- pointment is required. Bring your travel orders, receipts for airfare, and receipts for expenses over $75. If you used temporary lodging and if you have already moved out, bring your lodging receipt. If you are still in temporary lodging, bring the receipt to us after you move out and after your original travel voucher is paid.
For members deploying or go- ing on temporary duty for more than 45 days, ensure you schedule partial payments (aka accruals) through DTS before departing D-M AFB.
While you are gone, add your expenses to DTS so your partials cover all expenses on your GTC. Failure to do this can lead to monthly late fees and GTC account
suspension.
If you experience DTS travel
voucher issues, contact your unit organizational defense travel administrator. If the unit ODTA cannot fix the problem, contact the CPTS travel section lead to resolve the issue.
For more information about sep- arating/retiring from the Air Force, visit the 355th CPTS to obtain sign off on the out-processing checklist.
For more information, email 355cpts.custsvc@us.af.mil for a 48-hour response time.
Courtesy of 355th CPTS
Customer serviCe hours
• Monday 9 a.m. to noon*
• Tuesday through Fri- day 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
*Closes early on Mondays for PCS in-processing at 1 p.m.
by Maj. BROOKE DAVIS
446th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash.
— Just after completing the final flight of the Southern Hemisphere winter Antarctic season, the 304th Expeditionary Air Squadron was alerted there was a medical emergency at the National Science Foundation’s McMurdo Sta- tion Aug. 25.
In the face of rapidly deteriorating weather conditions, the 304th EAS was able to redirect a mission to respond to the medical evacuation and use a local Christchurch New Zealand Life Fleet medical team to save time.
“We were in alert position to leave for Guam, and when I woke up, there was a note under my door that read we were now going to do a medevac mission,” said Lt. Col. Bruce Cohn, 97th Airlift Squadron pilot.
Planners worked throughout the night to switch from a ‘go-home’ mission to medevac mission in order to airlift two patients to medi- cal facilities in Christchurch. During the flight to the Antarctic, aircrew were able to interact with the New Zealand Life Fleet medical team to orient them to the C-17 Globemaster III.
“The team was great to work with, and this was their first aeromedical evacuation mission and flight on a military aircraft,” Cohn said.
Upon landing, weather impacted the medevac mission.
ADS
Courtesy photo
A C-17 Globemaster III sits on the runway
at McMurdo Station in Antarctica. At the request of the National Science Foundation, aircrews from the 304th Expeditionary Air Squadron supported an emergency medical evacuation of two patients Aug. 25.
“Weather was favorable for the arrival except temperatures at the time of landing were much colder than previously forecasted,” said Lt. Col. Trace Dotson, 304th EAS commander.
The crew worked quickly in minus 65.2-de- gree F conditions to safely evacuate one criti- cally ill patient and another patient needing medical care.
“There was a lot of coordination with the New Zealand Life Fleet medical personnel as we usually work with Air Force Aeromedical Evacu-
See Antarctica, Page 16