How the HARRT beats

  • Published
  • By Airman Jack Sanders
  • 3rd Wing Public Affairs
ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  Seven 3rd Wing Airmen, recently returned from a deployment to Padang Indonesia.

The Airmen were deployed with the Humanitarian Assistance Rapid Response Team to help the victims of the Sept. 30, 7.6-magnitude earthquake.

The HARRT was comprised of members from the 36th Wing at Anderson Air Force Base, Guam; 13th Air Force, Hickam AFB, Hawaii; and the 374th Medical Group, Yokota Air Base, Japan.

"At first we got there to take care of any earthquake victims, but it was mostly general medical care," said Master Sgt. William Lallish, 3rd Medical Group flight chief medical flight.

The HARRT worked 12 to 14 hour days taking care of numerous patients, with a wide range of medical conditions.

"We saw (more than) 2,000 patients and did about 50 minor surgeries while we were there," said Lallish.

Some of Lallish's patients were afflicted with numerous conditions. While there Lallish was seeing from broken bones, colds, TB (Tuberculosis), and general medical conditions he said.

In remote conditions like Padang, Lallish said he was surprised to find that most patients were suffering for years from illnesses that were easily treated.

"It was such a shock to the system when we first got there because it was such a difference from what we see here," said Lallish. "We saw mainly buildings down; houses, cracks in foundations, walls down like around the housing."

Although the different environment was challenging the HARRT set up their base of operations and got to work.

"You could tell it was a poor nation because some patients were saying 'years I've had this' and we were taking care of it with one little procedure," said Lallish.

This was Lallish's first humanitarian mission however; he had been deployed before as a Critical Care Air Transport Team, which fly injured servicemembers out of location to a safe location where they can be fully treated.

CCATT transports the worst case injured. "If someone's critically ill a CCATT team will be flying in," said Lallish "It's what I've deployed as every time before now. So, this is the first time I've done a humanitarian mission just gone in where we have set up shop and handled everything," he said.

One thing Lallish said he noticed was different, was the attitude his patients were giving.

"The Indonesians were so thankful," said Lallish. "The kids loved getting American candy, and the adults were so glad we were there and so appreciative of everything we were doing for them. I think this was the first time medical teams had been into Indonesia and they were really glad we were there."

In most jobs in the Air Force, Airmen don't get to see the results of their work. During this deployment that wasn't the case.

"We knew we were doing something good for them," said Lallish. "There were some patients that if we weren't there, they would have never got taken care of."

"Some of it was amazing, they would have a little cut, but because they didn't have any medical care it would become infected. Then we come in and just give them antibiotics and send them on their way," he said. "We actually had some come back to say how gratified they were."

Humanitarian missions are opportunities for the U.S. to help those who are in more need than most.

"The HARRT team has a good concept. It's new and I think it's a good thing once we streamline it and get things working a little better it'll be a great thing for humanitarian help," said Lallish.