Flight Paramedic

Senior Master Sgt. Kevin Savidge, 514th Aerial Evacuation Squadron, responds to interview questions posed by Master Sgt. Donna Jeffries, 514th Air Mobility Wing public affairs, here Jan. 26. 2011. The video footage from the interview will be included in a presentation highlighting the Air Force's professional nursing corp. Sergeant Savidge, a Reserve Airman, explained how he leveraged his civilian work experience during his recent deployment to Afghanistan. Helicopter-based medical evacuation is not normally performed by Ai r Force personnel, but Sergeant Savidge? employment as a helicopter paramedic for a Philadelphia hospital made him uniquely qualified to help alleviate some of the demand for helicopter flight nurses within Air Force Central Command. Flying primarily on the HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter, Sergeant Savidge participated in 75 combat rescue missions which resulted in more than 90 lives saved. Approximately 40 percent of his patients were Afghani civilians and servicemembers. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Shawn J. Jones)