National Guard unit prepares for fall deployment in Kosovo

Dick Benoit

Thursday, July 26, 2001 | 9:04 a.m.

Twenty-two members of Army National Guard's 717th Medical Company "air ambulance unit are being deployed to Kosovo for six months this fall.

Family members gathered recently with the soldiers at the Guard's Flight Operations center in Stead, near Reno, to learn what to expect before, during and after the deployment.

"The lives of not only the 6,000 deployed military personnel, but Kosovar and Macedonian civilians may depend on the 717th, as their company will be the only air medical evacuation team available in this often hostile region," Nevada Guard spokeswoman Sgt. Lisa Kent said.

The unit will deploy with three UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters, complete with crew, medics and support personnel.

"We'll probably be called to at least two emergencies a day, according to the crews that we'll be replacing," Capt. Richard Ferguson said. "They could be anything from severe wounds in an adult to a small baby experiencing respiratory failure."

In brief

Merback, the son of Kerry and Rose Marie Merback of Las Vegas, was a distinguished graduate of the academy, finishing 38th out of a class of 850.

The new soldiers received training in drill and ceremonies, weapons, map reading, tactics, military courtesy, military justice, physical fitness, first aid, and Army history and traditions. During infantry training, they developed basic combat skills with various weapons.