Lackland AFB receives, helps wounded troops

Amanda Gross

The 559th Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facility (CASF) at Lackland AFB has an important, if somewhat grim, role. Twice a week, the organization, which is located at Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center, receives a group of wounded warriors who they then transfer to the appropriate medical facility, My San Antonio reports.

The 559th CASF opened just last summer, and has seen a steady stream of wounded warriors since then. In addition to helping soldiers once they arrive, the organization is responsible for arranging emergency evacuation flights out of Afghanistan, Iraq and other places where troops are deployed.

Lieutenant Colonel Richard Conte, commander of CASF and an Air Force critical-care air-transport nurse, said the payoff for this less-than-glamorous job is huge.

"Knowing that you're helping get these guys back to their families and their home stations as quickly as possible means a lot," he told the news outlet.

Air National Guard Major Marylynn Bernard, a CASF nurse, told the news source that the soldiers she meets are "inspiring."

"I see really dedicated young people that want to get fixed and go back out," she told the publication.

The 559th CASF is part of the 59th Medical Wing, which is based at Wilford Hall, according to its official website.

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