130th Airlift Wing –
Airmen from the 167th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron (AES), based in West Virginia, recently completed a rigorous certification event in Alpena, Michigan, showcasing their operational readiness and deployment capabilities alongside sister units from across the country.
The multi-faceted training exercise, conducted during the final days of the "Northern Strike" exercise led by the National Guard Bureau, brought together teams from the 167th AES, North Carolina Air National Guard's 156th AES and the 118th Air Operations Support Squadron, and the 131st Medical Group from Missouri. Their shared objective: to prove their proficiency in pre-deployment tasks through realistic training and medical evacuation simulations.
“This event was essentially our qualifying certification,” said Lt. Col. Forrest Moodspaw, a flight nurse and full-time health systems specialist with the 167th AES. “It served as a capstone to everything we’ve done—real-world missions, training flights, exercises—and ensured that we are fully prepared to deploy.”
During the certification, airmen practiced executing the Theater Aeromedical Evacuation System (TAES), coordinating patient movement from the point of injury to higher levels of care. Missions included transporting simulated patients—both mannequins and live role players—aboard C-130 and C-17 aircraft. The joint force component underscored the importance of interoperability in real-world operations.
“Our missions mirrored actual deployment scenarios,” Moodspaw explained. “We took patients from collection points set up by the 131st, performed handoffs, provided care in-flight, and delivered them to higher care facilities—all while operating under stressful, simulated combat conditions.”
The certification event also featured intensive Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) Tier 2 and Tier 3 training. Master Sgt. Bryan Hoffman led the instructional component, overseeing eight instructors who trained 43 students across two classes. The TCCC Tier 3 course, in particular, is recognized for its rigorous curriculum, comprising 24 didactic modules and 92 hands-on skills, culminating in a high-stress seven-hour combat simulation.
“It was extremely rigorous,” said Hoffman. “Tier 3 ends with a one-on-one trauma assessment under a strict time limit, simulating battlefield conditions where communication and teamwork are essential.”
Airmen were divided into six- to seven-member squads and trained in security, casualty collection, nine-line medevac calls, and triage. The culminating event, which included four iterations in a simulated village, reinforced lessons in both tactical movement and medical care.
“This training gave our airmen a glimpse of what a peer-to-peer conflict could look like,” Hoffman said. “We hope it never comes to that, but we must be prepared.”
For many airmen, the experience was their first exposure to a realistic deployment environment. While some had previously deployed, others were gaining their first taste of the operational tempo and expectations.
“They all rose to the occasion,” Moodspaw said. “Especially those who hadn’t deployed before—they learned quickly and demonstrated they could handle the pressure.”
In addition to medical simulations, participants completed ground-based training in logistics and operations, including forklift operations, pallet building, and use of the TRANSCOM Regulating and Command & Control Evacuation System for tracking patient movements and missions.
The certification not only reinforces readiness but also builds confidence and cohesion among the units involved.
“Ultimately, this is about saving lives,” Hoffman emphasized. “The more prepared we are, the better care we can provide under the most challenging circumstances.”