New Hampshire Army National Guard 238th Medevac Company trains with crews from Ohio, Michigan
Soldiers training for fall deployment
Soldiers training for fall deployment
Soldiers training for fall deployment
Residents of the Capital Area may have noticed a high volume of military aircraft overhead the past two weeks.
The New Hampshire Army National Guard’s 238th Medevac Company is training with its counterparts from Ohio and Michigan in the area to prepare for their fall deployment.
A News 9 crew was invited into a Black Hawk helicopter Wednesday for a firsthand look.
“Every state does things a little bit differently based on the resources they have available, and those nuances, if not corrected together as a team, could have catastrophic effects,” said Maj. Giovanni Gensale, commander of the 238th Medevac Company.
It’s rare for the three states to come together before mobilizing in Texas. The two-week event provides vital training for the company.
“Now, we all know each other,” said Sgt. 1st Class Jeremy O’Brien, of the Ohio National Guard. “We know who the stronger people are, and we know who we have to bring up to get to the level they need to be at.”
When soldiers are injured on the ground, a nine line, or medevac request, comes in to flight operations.
“When we get the call, it's somebody's worst day,” O’Brien said. “I mean, (if) we're going, they've either got shot, they've got blown up or something, and we're going to get them.”
The HH-60M Black Hawk helicopter is the Army's newest and most advanced. Unlike the aircraft of the past, these can carry six patients on stretchers and are equipped with an integrated oxygen system for onboard care, providing critical, life-saving care in the air.
“The only reason soldiers in the field can be so confident in their mission is that they know that we're well trained, well equipped and that we're going to come get them,” said Staff Sgt. Joshua Stone, of the New Hampshire National Guard.
Participants said the job is an honor they wouldn’t trade for any other assignment.
“I think we have the most important job in the Army,” Stone said.
“It's my job to fix whatever's wrong with them and get them to the next level of care so they can come back here and be with their family,” O’Brien said.