A team from RAAF Base Richmond helped bring back more than 200 Australians trapped in Vanuatu after the cyclone there two weeks ago.
The category five tropical cyclone left 11 people dead and thousands homeless.
Flight lieutenant and registered nurse Gemma Godfrey led the aeromedical evacuation (AME) team as part of Operation Pacific Assist.
As one of the first teams to arrive, Ms Godfrey saw the initial damage and devastation in Port Vila the day after the cyclone.
‘‘It was really impressive to see how quickly things improved in some areas, it was quite remarkable,’’
Ms Godfrey said. ‘‘It was an eye-opener for me because this is the first time I have ever been sent on a disaster relief mission. Knowing that we contributed greatly to help these people in need is enough to get me going for many more years to come.’’
The next day, she and her team flew to the island of Tanna to collect four patients who had to be moved to the main island, Port Vila, for higher level treatment (pictured above).
‘‘The patients were badly injured in the cyclone and needed assistance urgently. We had very little notice of that task and had to overcome the heat, lack of running water, language barriers and lack of facilities on the ground. If it wasn’t for the team’s hardworking attitude and expertise, we wouldn’t have been able to do it. Nothing is a solo effort and our team was very lucky to be supported by fantastic and hardworking crew.’’
