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TOPIC AREA: COMMAND, CONTROL, COMMUNICATION (C3) 
SUBMITTED BY: HQ AFRES/SGXO 
 
ISSUE: Automation support requirements for aeromedical evacuation needs to be determined 
and standardized. 
 
OBSERVATION: Sufficient and standardized automated support for aeromedical evacuation was 
not available to most deployed aeromedical evacuation management elements. 
 
DISCUSSION: The CONOPS forecast a potential workload into/out of RAF Upper Heyford of 
nearly 1,900 patients per day. There currently are automated patient management systems 
designed to manage and manifest patients. We were notified that HQ MAC anticipated testing 
these systems under wartime conditions at RAF Upper Heyford. We were informed by HQ 
MAC/SGAM that APES (Automated Patient Evacuation System), the peacetime aeromedical patient 
management system would be available upon arrival at RAF Upper Heyford. However, the APES 
was not made available to AECE personnel at any of the three sites in the United Kingdom. 
The APES automated system was designed to manage patients in the aeromedical evacuation and 
it could have assisted us in managing the projected workload of 1,900 patients per day at 
RAF Upper Heyford. Three separate computerized patient management systems (one at each 
site), in addition to the JMRO DMRIS, were used in the UK. Two were developed locally (RAF 
Upper Heyford and RAF Waddington) and the third (RAF Mildenhall) was directed to be used by 
HQ USAFE personnel. HQ MAC sent three persons TDY for several weeks to evaluate the 
Passenger Reservation Automated Manifest System (PRAMS). However, PRAMS was not in use at 
RAF Upper Heyford. These persons instead analyzed the automated software used to support 
aeromedical evacuation at RAF Upper Heyford, RAF Mildenhall, and RAF Waddington. PRAMS was 
evaluated at RAF Mildenhall. We also are aware of an automated crew management system, CASS 
(Crew Management Scheduling System), used in MAC to track DNIF, flying hours, etc., for 
flight crews. We tried both prior and subsequent to deployment, without success, to obtain 
this automated system. We developed our own automated crew management system resulting in 
duplication of tried and tested software. We discovered an automated system used in the UK 
to publish MAC Form 41, Flight Authorization. We obtained and modified the program for our 
needs. Since CASS also publishes the MAC 41, we believe it would have been in the 
government's best interest to provide CASS to aeromedical evacuation units for evaluation, 
and to assist in crew management activities. The 
	same is equally applicable for patient tracking and documentation	- 
systems currently in use. Since Air Force Reserve units desire 
and are expected to provide professional results when activated, 
it would be practical to actively take steps to provide all 
available management software to Reserve units for training and 
testing purposes. 
 
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