Fit to Fly: Army Flight PA Provides Critical Care Overseas

“It was an immediate adrenaline rush, between the unknown and having to think on your feet,” she said. “It was a cardiac arrest, and while it was difficult, in the end, I felt like I made an impact and offered my best.”

She worked as an EMT throughout college, going home on the weekends to work and putting what she was learning at MCPHS into action. As graduation approached, she started talking with a recruiter about joining the Army.

“I wanted to practice emergency medicine, and I wanted to serve my country,” Capt. Woods said. “There aren’t many PAs across the Army, so it was a great opportunity.”

After four years of training, certifications, and other preparations for deployment, Capt. Woods deployed to the Middle East in early 2025. Based at Fort Campbell in Tennessee, she is one of four PAs in her brigade and the only flight PA deployed to Kuwait. She quickly became one of the primary care providers at her installation.

“Flying is a small percentage of my schedule. Every day, I’d treat someone who is sick or has an injury, like urgent care services. I also had clinic hours for more routine care, like gynecology, dermatology, and orthopedics. I had the ability to provide all kinds of care and make treatment decisions.”

Her primary duty as a deployed flight PA was determining medical readiness. Capt. Woods conducted physicals for flight crew members, ensuring their medical exams and clearances were up to date, and checking for any health changes. Even the seemingly smallest treatment decisions could affect a soldier’s ability to fly.

“I can’t be quick to suggest Mucinex DM for a cold, and many other over-the-counter medications are prohibited for flight,” she said. “There are many regulations when it comes to medical care, so we have to look for more conservative or holistic treatments.”

If a soldier was too sick or too seriously injured, Capt. Woods would have to call for a medical evacuation, requesting a Black Hawk helicopter to transport that soldier to a dedicated medical facility. It happened twice during this deployment: once for a hypertensive episode and the other for a soldier who suffered a retinal detachment.

“That patient was flown out and had emergency surgery, and it saved their vision,” she said. “It’s exciting and humbling to make the decision to get a patient a higher level of care.”

As an Army officer, Capt. Woods stepped up to lead. She helped train medics during this deployment, teaching them how to triage patients in the field, take vital signs, and make split-second decisions in combat.

“Our medics are enlisted, of all different ranks and walks of life. I remembered what and how I learned during my physical exam class at MCPHS to teach them. It was rewarding to see so much growth in our medics.”

As the sun sets on her last night in Kuwait, Capt. Woods is smiling. In a matter of hours, she will be reunited with her husband and their two cats. She also looks forward to a trip to her hometown to see her mom. Her eyes are bright as she talks. Every story she tells is filled with pride and positivity.

“The military has been such a good experience, and I know I’ll be able to apply what I’ve learned here in other parts of my career.”

After a much-deserved vacation, Capt. Woods plans to focus on caring for a group of soldiers who need medical care now more than ever, namely those who served in the early 2000s during the war on terror.

“Many of these soldiers are older and haven’t received routine medical care because it wasn’t their priority,” she said. “They’re also getting ready to retire, so I’ll offer extra office hours to make sure they get seen and get any care they need. It’s important to me that that generation is fully cared for as they transition out of the military.”

As her deployment ends, Capt. Woods says that caring for others will remain at the center of her work.

“No matter how bad a day I’m having or how tough the circumstances get, I just remember my why. It’s a privilege to get to take care of people.”