KENITRA AIR BASE, Morocco -- U.S. and Moroccan military medical teams completed a series of joint aeromedical evacuation training missions at Kenitra Air Base, Morocco, from May 12–19, 2025, as part of exercise African Lion 2025.
AL25, the largest annual military exercise on the continent, brings together more than 10,000 personnel from 50 nations to enhance readiness, interoperability, and multinational cooperation. This year’s aeromedical evacuation training underscored the vital role of casualty care and rapid patient transport in joint military operations.
“Aeromedical evacuation is a vital capability for joint forces because it delivers rapid, life-saving care while preserving combat power,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Scott Helmer, a flight nurse assigned to the 139th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, New York Air National Guard. “It ensures our joint force can fight, recover, and return stronger—anytime, anywhere.”
Throughout the week-long training, participants executed two live-fly missions and two static aeromedical evacuation scenarios aboard a Moroccan C-130H Hercules. The missions tested the teams’ abilities to stabilize and transport patients under realistic operational conditions.
In addition to the missions, U.S. and Moroccan forces conducted a joint aircraft inspection, participated in rescue and recovery training, and performed two combat offloading events, strengthening their shared tactical and clinical skills.
“Participating in aeromedical evacuation exercises during African Lion 25 sharpens readiness by placing teams in complex, high-stress scenarios,” said U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Matt Ausfeld, an aeromedical technician assigned to the 139th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, New York Air National Guard. “It hones both medical proficiency and mission coordination under pressure.”
Operating in a multinational environment fostered trust and enhanced cooperation between the U.S. and Moroccan medical personnel as they worked together to solve medical emergency scenarios in the sky.
“This training enhances interoperability by aligning procedures, building shared medical standards, and improving how we communicate and operate as a unified medical team across borders,” Helmer explained. “Working with our Moroccan counterparts builds trust through real-time collaboration and mutual respect.”
Ausfeld emphasized that the ability to rapidly evacuate and treat casualties directly supports mission endurance and force protection.
“Exercising these capabilities strengthens the force’s resilience,” Ausfeld said. “It boosts morale, minimizes long-term injuries, and allows units to sustain operations even in austere, contested environments.”
Every mission flown and patient moved during the training sharpened life-saving capabilities for real-world scenarios where seconds count. The collaboration at Kenitra Air Base reinforces both nations’ readiness to respond swiftly and effectively, on the battlefield or during humanitarian crises.