Story and photo by Capt. Maggie Kohler
212th Combat Support Hospital
With the help from the Air Force, some members of the 212th Combat Support Hospital loaded part of their 12-bed Early Entry Package onto C-17 transport jets.
In mid-March, the service members trained for the first time to rapidly deploy the EEP in cooperation with the Heavy Airlift Wing on Ramstein.
“It’s always a good day when you get to see your careful planning come together in a very real way,” said Capt. Colin Fulbright, a 212th airlift planner. “Being able to do it, while working with a great multi-national team like the HAW, just makes it that much better.”
Their goal was to have the EEP loaded onto their Medium Tactical Vehicle’s and at the deployment processing center in under six hours. The mission included 71 members from the 212th CSH and a subordinate unit, the 67th Forward Surgical Team (Airborne).
Medics using the EEP are capable of treating a dozen service members in any field environment world-wide. After unloading the package, the 67th FST loaded one of their Humvee’s and medical supplies for a parachute drop onto Grafenwöhr Training Area.