By Kevin Lavery, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – When American troops are wounded in combat, they often make their way home in stages. The most critical are evacuated to Germany. There they undergo surgery and are stabilized for the flight to the U.S.
Patients then arrive at one of three bases that serve as hub terminals for their trip home. One of those is Scott Air Force Base in the Metro-East.
It's home to a squadron that oversees more than half the medical evacuations out of Iraq and Afghanistan.
KWMU's Kevin Lavery visited the base, and has this profile of a team that gives physical and emotional comfort to the wounded.
To hear the report as it aired on NPR's Weekend All Things Considered, click here.