18th AES major receives Dolly Vinsant Award

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Tara A. Williamson
  • 18th Wing Public Affairs
KADENA AIR BASE, Japan --  A major from the 18th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron recently received an award for operations during her deployment.

Maj. Catherine Ortega, 18th AES officer in charge of aircrew training, received the Dolly Vinsant Flight Nurse of the Year Award and was recognized at the Commemorative Air Force Air Show in Midland, Texas, Oct. 7.

"The mission that I received the award [for] was different from other missions in that it was to Pakistan, which involved high-risk for capture and it was a secret [special] mission," Ortega said. "Not only did our crew volunteer for that special mission, but we unanimously agreed to request a waiver to extend our crew duty day. This enabled us to transfer more injured warriors out of harm's way due to an intense battle raging nearby."

Ortega was awarded the Dolly Vinsant Flight Nurse Award for her services while deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan, as the Senior Flight Nurse for her five-member air evacuation crew. Their mission was to fly on a C-130 Hercules to many different FOBs, including Pakistan, and pick up critically-wounded military members and others supporting the War on Terror.

The major and her crew provided life-saving care and then transported them for more definitive care, putting patient welfare before their own. She volunteered at great personal risk to fly missions in order to bring caring help to injured personnel.