Philadelphia & Wilmington VA Medical Center team participates in New Castle aeromedical exercise Wednesday morning Oct. 17

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Delaware Air National Guard
Headquarters, 166th Airlift Wing
2600 Spruance Drive
New Castle, DE 19720-1615 

News media are invited. Call Sgt. Matwey at cell 302-593-2126 to confirm.

Contact: Tech. Sgt. Benjamin Matwey
Public Affairs Specialist, 166th Airlift Wing
Cell 302-593-2126, or office 302-323-3369
E-mail: Benjamin.Matwey@denewc.ang.af.mil
Release No. 2007-10-003 [corrected Release No.]
Oct. 16, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEW CASTLE, Delaware - About 20 people from the Philadelphia and Wilmington VA Medical Centers, the Philadelphia Fire Department and the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) will visit the Delaware Air National Guard base in New Castle Wednesday morning, Oct. 17, 2007 to both observe and participate as 10 medical specialists in the 142nd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron prepare for and load several mock patients and medical equipment aboard a unit C-130 transport aircraft configured for that purpose.

The VA Medical Centers will function in support of a Homeland Security Emergency Management Group. The group performs the role of a backup Patient Reception Team (PRT) in the event of a natural disaster or terror incident in America. The VA personnel will both observe and participate in the aeromedical evacuation exercise. Airmen will perform an exercise demonstrating how they transport patients using procedures used in real-life homeland security and overseas combat environments. The PRT unit will train with the Airmen. One of the VA functions is to give support when DoD Medical Assets are overwhelmed.

The aircraft will take off mid-day Wednesday from New Castle County Airport for Andrews Air Force Base, Md. to participate in a two-day regional mass casualty/patient evacuation exercise called Capital Shield 08 that occurs Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 17-18 at Andrews Air Force Base, Md. and Nashville, Tenn.

News media are invited to the events occurring at the Delaware Air Guard base in New Castle on the morning of Oct. 17.

Schedule:

8:00 a.m. Aircrew arrives

9:00 a.m. VA Medical Center members arrive

9:00 a.m. Briefing begins by Chief Nurse Lt. Col. Carolyn Wood, 142nd AES

9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Observation of equipment preparation and mock patient loading aboard C-130 aircraft 

Location: 2600 Spruance Drive, New Castle, DE 19720

Contact: Delaware ANG Public Affairs Specialist Tech. Sgt. Benjamin Matwey, cell 302-593-2126.

Sgt. Matwey will be present for the entire event, and arrange for media getting on base, to the event and onto the flight line.

This release is in the public domain, and any part may be used as written.

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