From the JO President

So Others May Live - Skill and Confidence

By LT Zoe "Latrina" Macfarlane,USN

BeforeI tell an important story that I believe exemplifies the theme of this Rotor Review edition, I wanted to introduce myself. I am LT Zoe “Latrina” Macfarlane, and I have turned over with LT Alden “CaSPR” Marton as the NHA JO President. I am currently an instructor at HSC-3 and feel honored and privileged to be part of this organization. I look forward to continuing the work and connections that NHA fosters.

The purpose of this edition is to highlight the work of our Aircrewmen. While I could tell countless stories that illustrate their proficiency, professionalism, and dedication to the mission, one story stands out from the rest. During deployment, on my first tour with HSC-4, we were attached to CVN-70 and operating in Seventh Fleet when an F-35C in our airwing crashed on the flight deck. Our OPS Team scrambled to find two crews to fill a section that would be departing on an emergency MEDEVAC. Due to time constraints, AWS1 Charles Weaver, the Crew Chief in the section lead aircraft, took charge of navigating the section safely to an island no one had been to before. He recounted that night to me, and it is clear that his skill was instrumental in the safety and success of the mission.

On January 22, 2022, AWS1 Weaver was called to the Ready Room where he quickly learned the news of the crash on the flight deck. HSC-4 was preparing to launch an MH-60S section to MEDEVAC the casualties to an airfield 300 miles away. At the time, the number of patients and severity of their injuries were unknown. Although the squadron was skilled in 6-hour mission planning to execute any mission quickly and effectively, the crews were told they’d have only 20 minutes until they had to hotseat. Further complicating matters, they would be flying at night under zero percent illumination to an airfield on an island to which no one had been before. When the Commanding Officer and MEDEVAC section lead, CDR Thomas “Brother” Murray, asked AWS1 Weaver: “How do you feel about the FST tablet?,” AWS1 Weaver said he had a feeling that the section would be navigating with the only information they had: lat/long coordinates.

When I asked AWS1 Weaver what stuck out the most about that night, he replied: “There was no time to do any mission planning. We didn't have any details on who we were taking and what kind of care they would need enroute. At that moment, with adrenaline pumping, I just tried to stay calm and let my training take over. I knew we could do the mission, no problem, and they did.

The crews walked to the flight deck. AWS1 Weaver recalls, “It was complete chaos. Everyone was hustling to get gear we believed we would need for the patients.” After about 30 minutes, the three patients were loaded in both aircraft, and the section launched. In the cabin with AWS1 Weaver was HM1 Walters, the squadron corpsman, and AWS3 Zavala. When the patient was loaded into AWS1 Weaver's cabin, HM1 Walters recognized another difficulty facing the crew. The patient had a serious skull injury which would prevent the section from transiting at a high altitude. Bad news for fuel, time, and any communication with externals.

After take off, AWS1 Weaver looked at the FST tablet, and the coordinates to which they were flying. He then began to figure out how the section would navigate there without climbing to altitude. He recounts, “I was zooming in and out looking at the terrain and altitude, trying to figure what the safest way to get to the island and the airfield would be. I built a route on the FST tablet, and passed all the coordinates to CDR Murray. He passed the flight plan to the dash two aircraft on our inter-flight frequency.”

Due to the length of their flight and fuel on board, CDR Murray asked if the section could fly at a higher altitude to get to the airfield faster and more efficiently. AWS1 Weaver was ready with an answer. Based upon the terrain, low light, and the patient's injury, he recommended that they remain feet wet and clear of land for as long as possible.

The section landed at Manilla Ninoy International Airport after transiting over 200 miles from the carrier, and safely transferred the three patients to an ambulance. All three patients survived and received the care they needed. The section ended up reversing their initial route to return to CVN 70.

The skill and confidence AWS1 Weaver demonstrated on this mission led to the safe transfer of all three MEDEVAC patients. His expertise, assertiveness, and skill aided the section in safely executing the mission and saving the lives of three Sailors.