The History of Military Air Ambulances
The military air ambulance dates to 1870, when wounded French soldiers in battle were evacuated via hot-air balloon. The first modern instance occurred in World War I, when a wounded British soldier in Turkey was transported to a hospital in 45 minutes, a three-day land journey. Since then, advances in World War II and later in the Korean and Vietnam wars perfected the air ambulance.
Other People Are Reading
-
First Helicopter
-
A Sikorsky YR-4 helicopter was deployed to the Burma Theater in World War II as the first medical evacuation ambulance in a combat zone.
MASH Unit
-
Mobile Army Surgical Hospital units in World War II greatly reduced the fatality rate of wounded soldiers transported by plane, with the percentage dropping from 4.5 to 2.5 by the Korean War, when helicopters came into use.
-
Vietnam
-
About 1,400 pilots crewed air ambulances during the Vietnam War using Bell 47 and Bell UH-1 Hueys to evacuate wounded soldiers from battle.
Popular Chopper
-
The most important helicopter used as an air ambulance was the Bell UH-1 Huey, manufactured from 1955 to '76 and still in use today.
Iraq Wars
-
The tandem rotor helicopter Boeing CH-46 Sea Knight was used in the first Gulf War, with many based in Saudi Arabia, while the UH-60 Black Hawk is extensively used in the second Iraq war.
Global Reach
-
Boeing CH-46 Sea Knight and Bell UH-1 Hueys are among several air ambulances used globally.
-
Resources
- Photo Credit U.S. Army
