Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 News
    
        Photos

    Week in Photos

    Air Force TV

    Commentaries

    Features

    Art

    About Us
    
        Air Force Senior Leaders
    
        SECAF

    CSAF

    CMSAF

    Biographies

    Fact Sheets

    SECAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library
    
        CSAF Leadership Library 2022

    CSAF Leadership Library 2021

    CSAF Reading List Pre-2020 Archive
    
        2018 CSAF Reading List

    2017 CSAF Reading List

    2016 CSAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library 2023

    CMSAF Leadership Library

    50 Years of the CMSAF

    Adjunct Professors

    Air Force Strategic Documents

    Arctic Strategy

    Empowered Airmen

    State Licensure Portability

    Careers

    AF Federal Advisory Committees

    AF 75th Anniversary

    Policy Updates

    AF Content Management

    Contact Us

    AF Sites
    
        Site RegistrationU.S. Air Force LogoAir Force

        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      Five U.S. Air Force service members pose for a photo.From left to right, 18th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron members Capt. Andrew Jimenez, 2nd flight nurse; Senior Airman Joshua Egler, 3rd aeromedical evacuation technician; Capt. Geryn Lee Paguio, medical crew director; Senior Airman Deanna Adkins, 2nd aeromedical evacuation technician; and Staff Sgt. Elliot Sotnek, charge medical technician, pose for a photo at Kadena Air Base, Japan, Oct. 4, 2021. During a medical emergency onboard their commercial flight, these 18th AES members assisted by administering oxygen, recording vital signs and keeping the flight attendants updated on the passenger’s condition. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Anna Nolte)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res

18th AES Airmen save lifePublished Oct. 14, 2021
                    
                    By Airman 1st Class Anna Nolte
                    
                    
                    18th Wing Public Affairs
            **KADENA AIR BASE, Japan (AFNS) --**It’s hard to predict how one would react in a crisis, but when a medical emergency took place onboard commercial flight GK304, Sept. 10, the five Airmen onboard the plane didn’t hesitate to answer the call for help.
An hour into the flight, the group of **18th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron** members responded to an overhead message calling for medical assistance where they then provided aid to a Japanese passenger, which potentially saved his life.
“I saw the flight attendants grabbing an oxygen bottle and wondered what was going on then looked back to see this guy laying down ... He was on oxygen and didn’t look very good,” said Senior Airman Joshua Egler, 18th AES, 3rd aeromedical evacuation technician. “The first announcement went off overhead and I jumped out of my seat. The whole crew went back there: Paguio, Jimenez, Sotnek, Adkins and myself. We train for this kind of scenario all the time.”
Assisting the passenger came with its own unique set of challenges; they were working without their medical equipment and they needed a translator. It was a real-life test of their training.
The equipment they usually train with is essentially a small hospital setup, said Staff Sgt. Elliot Sotnek, 18th AES charge medical technician. The equipment available on the flight was essentially a bag full of anything and everything that might be needed.
Despite the challenges, the crew quickly stepped into the roles needed to take care of the passenger, and with a flight attendant translating, they got to work.
While Egler took the passenger’s vital signs and administered oxygen, Sotnek documented the medical steps taken to pass onto the medical provider on the ground. Simultaneously, other members of the team worked to uncover the cause of his physical distress and communicate his condition to flight attendants.
“Because there were a lot of people around him, he was super nervous,” Egler said. “I gave him one of my patches, and I think it helped calm him down.”
After asking the right questions, the crew finally discovered what might be the problem.
“Turns out, he had gone scuba diving the day before and it was possible decompression sickness,” Sotnek said.
Knowing that decompression sickness can be fatal if not treated quickly, the team informed the flight attendant, who coordinated with the pilot to divert the plane to the nearest airport with the appropriate medical facilities nearby.
Within 40 minutes, the plane was on the ground and the passenger was transported by local emergency medical services.
When asked how it felt to have potentially saved a life, Egler brushed off the praise.
“It’s a nice feeling, but it’s what all of us medics do,” Egler said. “That’s why I became a medic. I wanted to help people, and it’s the reason I put this uniform on.”AFWN 



USAF 



AF 



Air Force 



Pacific Air Forces 



PACAF 



Kadena Air Base 



Japan 



health 



Tokyo 



Okinawa 



aeromedical 



medical 



Emergency 



INDOPACOM 



U.S. Indo-Pacific Command 



18th AES Featured News
        Senior Leader Priorities
                DAF leaders talk budget, reoptimizing the force
                    
                    DAF leaders speak at National Character and Leadership Symposium
                    
                    DAF members recognized during BEYA STEM awards
                    
                    DAF senior enlisted advisors discuss Airmen, Guardians in the fight
                    
                    SecAF Kendall AFA Warfare Symposium Q&A: Reoptimizing for Great Power CompetitionInnovation
                AFWERX director discusses role of tech startups, quick innovation in Great Power Competition
                    
                    DAF delivers lethality at the speed of data during Project Convergence Capstone 4
                    
                    DAF welcomes industry partners to HQ development program
                    
                    DAF announces Spark Tank 2024 finalists
                    
                    Chief Digital, Artificial Intelligence Office to host hackathon in HawaiiMAJCOM News
                Safety enterprise announces new mission, vision, goals in 2024 strategic plan
                    
                    Air Combat Command welcomes new commander
                    
                    USAFE-AFAFRICA commander discusses Integrated Air, Missile Defense during Munich Security Conference
                    
                    Flosi to AFMC family: Embrace change, make every day count
                    
                    AMC rises to increasing global tension
 Quick Links
AccessibilityContact UsEqual OpportunityFOIA | Privacy | Section 508Information QualityInspector GeneralJAG Court-Martial DocketLink DisclaimerNo FEAR ActOpen GovernmentOSI Tip LinePlain LanguageQuestionsResilienceRSSSite MapVeterans Crisis LineCareers
Join the Air ForceAir Force BenefitsAir Force CareersAir Force ReserveAir National GuardCivilian ServiceConnect
            Get Social with Us
            
            Official United States Air Force Website
    Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil