Emergency aero-medical evacuation during base ORI successful Published April 24, 2009 By Col. David O'Brien 51st Medical Group commander OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea -- A KC-135 Stratotanker lifted off from Osan Air Base, enroute to Kadena AB. But this was not a typical airrefueling mission April 22. On this mission, the Air Force provided a critical aeromedical evacuation for a premature infant who was born 14 weeks early. First headed to the Okinawa Naval Medical Center and then onto the University of California, Davis in northern California, this young infant was hospitalized at a teaching hospital in a Korean university for eight weeks. The care at Ajou University Medical Center in Suwon was fi rst-rate, rivaling that of any Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in the United States. It was clear that this was the best time to move the infant to allow him to receive long-term hospital care as well as receive help from the young couple's extended family. This mission was a team effort that showcased the strength of the Air Force family. Personnel from the 731st Air Mobility Squadron, 51st Operations Group and 51st Medical Group brought together a tremendous set of diverse skills. Additionally supporting this effort were the 909th Air Refueling Squadron, 18th Aero-medical Evacuation Squadron and neonatal specialists from the Okinawa Naval Medical Center. This was an excellent demonstration of airpower - bringing life sustaining care to an infant through time and distance. This is a core competency of the Air Force that is made available to all service members and families daily. Remarkably, all three of these units completed this mission while undergoing their Operational Readiness Inspection.