Medical Wing personnel support Hurricane Gustav evacuees Published Sept. 25, 2008 By Sue Campbell 59th Medical Wing Public Affairs LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Approximately 80 personnel from the 59th Medical Wing here worked around the clock last weekend, assisting 247 special needs evacuees from Beaumont, Texas, who arrived at Port San Antonio Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. Medical staff helped move the evacuees off aircraft and load them onto transport vehicles for destinations throughout San Antonio. "We have a team of great people who do outstanding things all the time," said Maj. Gen. Tom Travis, 59th MDW commander. "They earned their stripes doing what they did last weekend." Five Critical Air Transport Teams, or CCATTs, and two CCAT Extender Teams departed Lackland AFB Friday and Saturday. CCATTs are three-member medical teams, comprised of a critical care doctor, critical care nurse and respiratory therapist, a CCAT Extender team is comprised of two critical care nurses who are trained and equipped to transport critically ill patients in aircraft. One CCATT left midnight Friday for the Air Evacuation Hub at Little Rock, AFB. On Saturday, four CCATTs with two CCAT Extender Teams headed to Lakefront Airport, La. to evacuate patients out of New Orleans. More than 100 Lackland medical personnel were on-call during the weekend to form a 25-bed Expeditionary Medical Support hospital, if needed. EMEDS is a portable hospital that can be set up in any location to provide medical care in emergency situations. On September 1, President George W. Bush, U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, and Gov. Rick Perry flew into Port San Antonio to personally thank Airmen, Red Cross personnel and other volunteers for their assistance with the evacuees.