The 82nd Airborne Division’s Critical Care Flight Paramedics Shape Future MEDEVAC Aircraft Design

Story by Capt. Shervon Pope

82nd Combat Aviation Brigade

FORT LIBERTY, NC – Paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division provided essential feedback on the future Medical Evacuation (MEDEVAC) Cabin’s design within the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) requirements from Nov. 12 through Nov. 22. As part of a Special User Evaluation (SUE), Critical Care Flight Paramedics (CCFP) of 3-82 General Support Aviation Battalion (GSAB), 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade and
Combat Medics of 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division provided feedback and suggestions as their teams conducted various scenarios within the Future MEDEVAC Cabin Technical Demonstrator (FMC-TD).

The Future of Medical Evacuation

Earlier this year, Army Medical Command (MEDCOM) announced plans at the Association of the Army (AUSA) exposition to implement innovations aimed at addressing Large Scale Combat Operations (LSCO) while supporting Soldiers and Families both at home and overseas. Army Medical Command (MEDCOM) identified three key objectives: clearing the battlefield, returning Soldiers to combat, and operating in contested environments. To keep pace with the evolving demands of operational medicine, MEDCOM will invest in the development of the FLRAA to enhance operational speed and maneuverability in support of these objectives.

When the Medical Robotic and Autonomous Systems (MedRAS) Science and Technology Project developed the Combat Evacuation Mission Module (CEMM), it focused on providing adaptive medical platforms. The Future MEDEVAC Cabin is a large-scale project that combines the expertise of engineers, designers, and end users, such as medics and pilots, working in parallel with the development of the FLRAA. MAJ Nicholas Toney, the Assistant MEDEVAC Product Manager with PEO-Aviation, stated, “The goal and the aim of the Future MEDEVAC Cabin is to get inputs from Critical Care Flight Paramedics from across the Army. Fort Liberty is the first stop of six in Fiscal Year 25. This device demonstrates numerous different cabin configurations that we could employ in the future MEDEVAC Aircraft.”

Maj. Gen. Anthony McQueen, the Deputy Surgeon General of the United States Army, stated, “Historically, end-users were not involved in the design process, resulting in less capable aircraft. We are committed to changing this approach, ensuring that the future MEDEVAC aircraft is designed with the patients’ needs in mind to deliver the best possible care, while concurrently enhancing the effectiveness of enroute care.”

The MedRAS is led by the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command and the Telemedicine & Advanced Technology Research Center, with developments by the Naval Air Systems (NAVAIR).

“Army Medicine embedded Aeromedical Evacuation Officers in key teams, ensuring that medical capabilities are seamlessly integrated into the aviation development process, resulting in a comprehensive and effective MEDEVAC solution,” said McQueen.

Future MEDEVAC Cabin Technical Demonstrator (FMC-TD)

The Future MEDEVAC Cabin Technical Demonstrator (FMC-TD) is a mobile, 20 foot steel-reinforced container (or CONNEX) designed to replicate an aircraft medical cabin. Inside, it features the Patient Handling System (PHS), with which most Critical Care Flight Paramedics and Combat Medics have familiarity. The PHS manages from 4 to 6
patients at once and can be easily modified due to its adaptability. The FMC-TD also features an evaluation monitoring system in the rear.

Mr. Thomas Stolt, the Mechanical Engineer Project Lead with NAVAIR has overseen the technology demonstrator for over five years since its basic conception and prototype creation. Mr. Stolt and his team of operators gathered the evaluation feedback directly from the medics. The data gathered will be a compiled into final report later. He remarked that the FMC-TD would help future medevac operations by shaping the final design of the FLRAA medical cabin.

Special User Evaluations

Each day, medic teams composed of two medics executed five scenarios. After receiving the initial briefing, the medic team donned their gear and collected the necessary equipment. Units equipped the MEDEVAC Cabin with essential medical supplies, including kit bags, ventilators, and defibrillators, to address operational needs.

The SUE included multiple scenarios including instances where medics simultaneously rendered care to one patient with an upper-body amputation while another patient suffered breathing difficulties. While medics ran the scenarios, the operator team monitored the rear system closely. Among their assessments, the operator team
observed the cabin space needed for medical gear, patient handling, and various medical procedures. The evaluation team observed and evaluated approximately 20-24 scenarios at Fort Liberty and the medic teams rotated through the scenarios.

Brig. Gen. Cain Baker, Director of the Cross Functional Team of the Future Vertical Lift of Army Futures Command stated, “This [Special User Evaluation] is the most critical step within the design process.”

Staff Sgt. Jesus Taizan, a Charlie “DUSTOFF” Company of 3-82 GSAB Critical Care Flight Paramedic participated in the Special User Evaluation. He observed that the modularity of the litter panels and pivoting of the drawer panels served as key in providing patients with the best care. Staff Sgt. Taizan hopes that medics’ feedback will be incorporated in the evaluation process to order to improve patient care during Large Scale Combat Operations (LSCO) environments.

Maj. Jillian Champagne, Charlie “DUSTOFF” Company Commander of the 3-82 GSAB, recently returned from a U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) deployment. She stated that to perform critical tasks, the unit company had to rip out the medical cabin interior and make drastic alterations to make it functional. Maj. Champagne emphasized that because the medics’ feedback is based on years of experience, it is invaluable during
the design process and provides engineers with considerations not previously addressed.

This initiative aims to leverage the gathered data to significantly influence the design of the medical cabin in the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft. Brig. Gen Baker remarked that the wide variety of personnel involved, from acquisition to development, demonstrates a holistic approach taken to create the best design with the best capability for the entire force. The FLRAA meets MEDCOM’s operational objectives by providing an aircraft that can travel twice as far and twice as fast while ensuring proper patient
care. Maj. Thomas Barth, the Future Vertical Lift – Cross Functional Team FLRAA Lead and MEDEVAC Integrator, emphasized that feedback is critical to the upcoming requirements, design validations, and the Army of 2030.

Way Forward

The FMC-TD will tour six major military installations over the next year. The results of the Special User Evaluations will be included in a final report for the FLRAA design. This initiative emphasizes the Army’s commitment to modernize both Army Aviation and Army Medicine to ensure patients receive optimal care.

(U.S. Army Story by: CPT Shervon Pope, U.S. Photos by: SGT Lilliana Magoon and SGT Eli Baker)