www.military.ie the defence forces magazine
| 13
to multiple calls without the
need to refuel.
The EAS has completed
almost 3,000 missions,
responding to the most
critically ill patients across
the country, connecting the
chain of survival for thou-
sands of people.
On 25th August the
Air Corps hosted an EAS
family day in Casement
Aerodrome, to reconnect
those chains of survival and
meet patients who have
benefited from the service.
The day also allowed the
crews that keep the aircraft
in the air on a daily basis
but do not get to
interact with the patients
on, to see the importance
of the work they do. It was
a moving day, full of smiles
and stories of recovery.
As the service enters its
sixth year the Air Corps has
gained a greater under-
standing of, and compe-
tency in, the medevac role.
Capitalising on the lessons
learned from the EAS
and the other aeromedi-
cal services provided by
the Air Corps since 1963,
efforts continue to ensure
a military advantage is
also gained. The Air Corps
is committed, under the
NATO Partnership for Peace
(PfP) Planning and Review
Process to developing, with
support of the Medical
Corps, an or-
ganic and potentially deploy-
able medevac capability, be it
fixed or rotary wing.
We are only too aware
that not every EAS mission
ends with a positive out-
come for the patient and
their families, but the ambi-
tion of everybody involved
in the Emergency Aeromed-
ical Service is to provide the
best response for citizens of
Ireland experiencing one of
the worst days of their lives
It is this synergy and
unity of purpose within
multiple agencies, as well
as the feeling of making a
difference to communities,
that makes working on the
EAS such an enjoyable and
rewarding experience.
