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Desert Shield/Desert Storm 
Aerospace Medicine 
Consolidated After-Action Report 
 
Findings: 
Deployment 
 
-The SME concept was validated. 
 
-In many cases, airlift priority decisions precluded ATC package from arriving 
concurrently with the SME or forced last minute downsizing of pallets - at 10 of 14 
locations, the ATC equipment package arrived more than 4 days after the SME 
or a complete package never arrived at all 
 
-In many cases, squadrons departed home base without knowing their beddown 
location or the initial location was changed in route 
 
-Many false starts occurred in the deployment phase resulting in additional 
emotional turmoil and crew rest problems 
 
- 65% of fighter pilots used "Go" pills on the deployment flight 
 
-Only a few flight surgeons were part of the deployment planning Crisis Action 
Teams or "Paring and Tailoring" Committees such as that used successfully by 
AFSOC 
 
-Medical intelligence was adequate and accessible when the destination was
known 
 
-SAC and Aeromedical Evacuation flight surgeons were deployed as individuals 
and were disadvantaged in having to learn the missions and to establish rapport 
and integrate with new units from scratch 
 
-There was a tendency among fighter pilots to carry too little water for the long 
deployment leg 
 
-There were problems with inflight urinary collection systems such as 
disconnections or insufficient storage capacity 
 
-Deploying flight surgeons packed medical supplies on life support and other 
"pallets of opportunity" or in cockpits as well as hand carried a portion of the 250 
lbs. of optional ATC gear. In many cases these were the only medical supplies for 
the first several days 

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