Date of Award

3-21-2013

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Operations Research

Department

Department of Operational Sciences

First Advisor

Jeffery K. Cochran, PhD.

Abstract

Aeromedical Evacuation (AE) has been steadily utilized during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. AE is a global enterprise. The current structure of AE is facing changes as forces scale down from operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. AE will, however, continue to be important in its domestic use in the continental USA (CONUS). Current practice is to pull aircraft (e.g. C-17, C-130 or KC-135) from their normal operations to meet Urgent and Priority patient needs when local alternatives are infeasible. An alternative to the current system would be having a centralized "bed-down" location for AE operations that would house dedicated aircraft as well as AE personnel. In this thesis, a hybrid queuing and discrete-event simulation approach is used to determine how many aircraft are needed for a given level of AE patient care and an integer programming model is used to locate aircraft within the provider network. The high costs associated with operating current aircraft drive this research to look for solutions that better represent the future of Urgent and Priority patient movement operations whether CONUS or global.

AFIT Designator

AFIT-ENS-13-M-04

DTIC Accession Number

ADA575735

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