1LT Laura M Walker Army Airfield is located on FOB Salerno. It’s runway is suitable for C-130 missions, giving us the added capability to evacuate critical patients in situations when rotary aircraft aren’t suitable. This may be due to large numbers of patients needing emergent evacuation, or when the weather prevents rotary wing aircraft from flying safely.
When we request fixed wing air evacuation, this comes to us as an Air Force C-130, under the callsign “FEVER”. The airframe provides significantly more space than a UH-60 Blackhawk, thus allowing for more medical crew to tend to patients. This medical team can consist of physicians, nurses and medics, giving them the ability to provide the a high level of attention during the flight. Finally, the C-130 has a speed advantage over rotary evacuation, cutting the time from Salerno to Bagram in half.
