Personal experience of aeromedical evacuation of patients in the Balkans.

Nurses in the Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service (PMRAFNS) undertake a variety of different roles in providing nursing care to Armed Forces personnel wherever they may serve. One such role is the evacuation by air of sick or injured personnel. This article discusses the experience of a nurse lecturer in the PMRANS who undertook the role of aeromedical evacuation liaison officer in the Balkans for a 4-month period during winter. The role is described and details of how the aeromedical evacuation of patients was organized is presented. The benefits of evacuating patients by air are discussed along with some of the potential problems that were encountered in the Balkans, including logistical problems and the vagaries of the weather. Finally, several examples of the types of patients evacuated are presented.