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History of 2nd Aeromedical Evacuation Group (MAC)

The **2nd Aeromedical Evacuation Group (2nd AEG)** was activated on 8 November 1975 under the Military Airlift Command (MAC) at Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina. Its primary mission was to provide rapid aeromedical evacuation of wounded, ill, or injured personnel, utilizing specialized aircraft and highly trained medical crews. The unit played a pivotal role in both peacetime and contingency operations, including support for humanitarian missions and military exercises. The 2nd AEG was inactivated in July 1994, with its mission and personnel absorbed by other aeromedical units as part of the post-Cold War Air Force restructuring.

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ABOUT 2nd Aeromedical Evacuation Group (MAC)

  • Origins and Activation: The 2nd Aeromedical Evacuation Group (2nd AEG) was officially activated on 8 April 1975 at Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina, under the Military Airlift Command (MAC).
  • Mission Focus: The group’s primary mission was to provide rapid medical evacuation for injured or ill military personnel, often directly from combat zones or austere environments, using specially equipped aircraft.
  • Vietnam War Legacy: While the group itself formed after the Vietnam War, its roots trace to earlier aeromedical evacuation operations that proved the value of airborne medical teams during that conflict.
  • Operation Urgent Fury (Grenada, 1983): The 2nd AEG played a pivotal role in evacuating wounded U.S. and allied personnel during the invasion of Grenada, helping save dozens of lives under fire.
  • Disaster Response: The group regularly responded to natural disasters, such as hurricanes and earthquakes, providing emergency evacuation and medical care to civilian populations in the U.S. and abroad.
  • C-130 Hercules Operations: The 2nd AEG routinely used the versatile C-130 Hercules aircraft, which could be rapidly converted to flying ambulances capable of carrying multiple litters and medical teams.
  • Innovations in In-Flight Care: The group contributed to advancements in in-flight medical care, including developing new protocols for treating trauma, burns, and shock at high altitudes.
  • Gulf War Deployments: During Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm (1990-1991), the 2nd AEG deployed teams and equipment to the Middle East, evacuating hundreds of casualties back to safety.
  • Training and Readiness: The group conducted frequent joint training with Army and Navy medical units, pioneering interoperability standards that are still in use for joint aeromedical operations today.
  • Inactivation and Legacy: The 2nd Aeromedical Evacuation Group was inactivated in 1994 as part of post-Cold War restructuring, but its legacy endures in today’s Air Mobility Command aeromedical evacuation squadrons and worldwide medevac doctrine.

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