Former Dunstan High School student and Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) medic Corporal Heidi Joseph gained first-hand experience in aeromedical evacuations while training with international military partners this month.

Exercise Mobility Guardian involved around 3,000 personnel and 70 aircraft. 

Led by the United States Air Force, Air Mobility Command, the exercise was conducted out of Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, alongside military forces from Australia, Canada, France, Japan, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

Heidi hails from Central Otago, and is usually based at the Defence Health Centre at RNZAF base in Auckland.

The 32-year-old has trained in aeromedical evacuations (AE), where land and air forces provide medical care to wounded personnel.

“I am trained to the equivalent of a paramedic but predominantly my time is spent working in primary health care, so it’s important I keep training to remain up to date,” Heidi said.

“This experience is valuable because it enables the development of my AE knowledge which I can then take home to aid in the development of our AE capability.”

New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) medics can operate anywhere operations occur, including during a humanitarian aid and disaster response.

Exercise Mobility Guardian 23 was Heidi’s first experience on such a large multinational military exercise.

“We look after patients who have low/medium critical injuries, from the walking wounded to stretcher-bound patients who have suffered some form of trauma,” she said.

The six-person AE teams have been flying on other militaries’ aircraft, including Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. 

Heidi said flying on other nations’ aircraft, using their equipment and procedures, and integrating into their teams is critical in improving connections with partners.

“There are a lot of different aspects that we are practising in the scenarios; patient management, loading-unloading patients, aircraft configuration and resource management. Basically, all aspects of patient care and the logistical side that comes with it.

“This has given me the chance to learn from other nations who do this every day. There are a lot of similarities and differences with how other nations work, so adapting and working to solve problems together as a team is great learning that I can bring home,” she said. 

Growing up in Alexandra, Heidi knew she wanted to join the air force.

“I studied a bachelor of science straight from school, but I always wanted to serve my country. The people, work environment and variability in what we can do, makes my work so exciting.

“Opportunities to travel and train like this make my work so rewarding and further my professional development,” Heidi said.

As well as medical staff, among those deployed on Exercise Mobility Guardian 23 were RNZAF personnel from the fields of refuelling, firefighting and communications personnel, and mission planners.

A NZDF aeromedical evacuation team on-board a RNZAF aircraft during Exercise Mobility Guardian 23.

PHOTOS: Supplied