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The 86th Vehicle Readiness Squadron special purpose shop on Ramstein recently reconfigured the generation two high deck patient loading platform vehicle, or HDPLP, in a record six days to make it operable for the 86th Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facility.
Receiving the vehicle Sept. 29, the shop had to wait until Oct. 2 to begin inspecting and taking it apart. Once they were given Air Force guidance on what to do with the HDPLP – make it safe and serviceable – the shop set to work.
Along with teams from the 86th Maintenance Squadron metals technology and non-destructive inspection shops, the 86th VRS special purpose shop worked together to swiftly make the asset fully mission capable.
“Everybody jumped in to get this done,” said Tech. Sgt. Ronald Coulter, 86th VRS special purpose shop non-commissioned officer in charge. “We all knew how high of a priority this vehicle was. Everyone knew it was part of a bigger picture. It wasn’t for us, it wasn’t for the CASF, and it wasn’t for any particular person. This was for the people who have made that sacrifice, gotten hurt doing that job downrange and come back who need that care.”
Normally, the squadron has 60 days to complete just the inspection, but in this instance, they went above and beyond.
“In 48 hours, we inspected, removed, repaired and re-installed to get the vehicle to a safe and serviceable condition,” Sergeant Coulter said. “What we did in that short amount of time was beyond amazing. It was a miracle.”
Turned over to the CASF Oct. 5, the vehicle helps personnel unload and upload patients to and from large aircraft, as well as allowing for the transportation of patients to and from the flight line, Landstuhl Regional Medical Center and the CASF.
CASF members “can literally take patients off the aircraft onto the vehicle, lower the vehicle down into its basic drive position and drive patients straight from the flight line up to LRMC … all in one stop,” the NCOIC said. “It’s for the critical patients that need immediate medical care.”
Safety is a top priority for facility personnel, and the HDPLP provides that.
“We’ve used the second generation vehicle on three missions so far,” said Maj. Mark Knitz, 86th CASF flight commander. “The biggest benefit is for the patients. It keeps them warm and comfortable, especially as we’re getting into the winter season. The HDPLP is also safer for our loaders when litter bearing, which in turn makes it safer for our patients.”
The squadron received the generation one vehicles in May 2008.
Because the vehicles were used frequently, the special purpose shop uncovered manufacturing design problems and errors and had to down the vehicles for repairs. Because of these findings at Ramstein, a total non-destructive inspection evaluation was completed across the Air Mobility Command on all the vehicles, leading to the creation of the generation two vehicle.
“We are the hub for the military,” Sergeant Coulter said. “All the patients who come out of Iraq and Afghanistan come here first before they go anywhere else. Ramstein is the stopping point before patients go back to the United States. The vehicle is used for both patients coming from downrange and those being taken back to the states.”
While the vehicle may look like an ordinary moving truck, it has many modifications, such as the scissor-lift underneath and the outrigger system.
“The basic design is a transport truck that has a scissor-lift, which lifts a box into the air – kind of like a food catering truck at the airport, but jumbo sized,” Sergeant Coulter said.
The vehicle was an Air Force idea to help give better care to wounded warriors. By taking a vehicle frame and adding the scissor-lift and outrigger system modifications, the Air Force was able to modernize a standard vehicle for warrior care while allowing for base vehicle maintenance squadrons to sustain the required standards for operations.
Ramstein is home to one generation two and two generation one HDPLPs.
