FAIRBANKS, Alaska (KTVF) – A Fort Wainwright helicopter unit is always ready to conduct a medical evacuation if needed, and in a recent 30-day period, the group conducted three medical evacuation operations in Alaska.

These missions, which took place between July 5 and August 2, took place at various locations, including along the Yukon River, near Livengood, and at a training range near Eielson Air Force Base.

They also saw different situations, from an injured driver to an injured civilian in a remote cabin to an injured soldier.

Charlie Company, 1-52 General Support Aviation Battalion, sends at least four team members with medics to each mission, ready to use their skills under difficult conditions.

According to Staff Sergeant Beau McIntosh, there have been more calls for service in recent years after a lull during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Over time, especially during COVID, a lot of people were staying home. They weren’t really going out and doing anything. Since that has died down a little bit, it seems like more people are getting out and being outdoors, going hiking, camping, flying, hunting. That means more people are going out and there are more injuries and then we respond accordingly and over time, over the last few years, the numbers have increased,” he said.

After responding to 19 calls in 2021, the unit was involved in 35 medical evacuations in 2022 and 25 in 2023.

So far this year they have responded to 28 situations.

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