Erin Johansen, Air Force Veteran

Erin Johansen grew up around aircraft. Her father worked in the aviation industry for Boeing and together they attended air shows throughout the Pacific Northwest. This upbringing made joining the U.S. Air Force a natural choice. Her uncle had been a medic in the Air Force, so she decided to follow that path as well.

As a medic, she worked in air base emergency rooms, labs, immunization clinics and with family practitioners. Deciding she wanted to be closer to her family, she left the Air Force and now works as a Lead Flight Coordinator for REACH, where she plans and arranges air medical transports. She credits the military with much of her success in this role.

“Being a Flight Coordinator takes a lot of multitasking and my military experience taught me how to remain calm under pressure, prioritizing my tasks in order to do what’s best for the patient and our crews,” said Johansen. “When I was in the Air Force, I had a great sense of pride. Now, I still get to feel that sense of pride each and every day working for REACH.”

Areas of Service

Johansen served seven years in the Air Force and Air National Guard. She was stationed stateside and her guard duty was in California. While on active duty, she received top medic training at:

• The R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, University of Maryland
• The John Hopkins Burn Center, Baltimore, Maryland

Rank Attained

Johansen attained the rank of Staff Sargent – E5. In this role, she became knowledgeable in:

• Military sanitation and first aid procedures
• Shock management
• Effective respiration maintenance (mouth-to-mouth resuscitation with or without adjunct)
• Hemorrhage control
• Emergency wound treatment
• Management of fractures, burns and injuries from chemical agents

Best Military Memories

Johansen says that the Air Force brought her many opportunities, and she can’t thank them enough. She added: “There is just something about the relationships you build in the military that are irreplaceable.”