HII’s Lifesaving Support to Casualty Evacuation Operations in Africa Bridges Gap Between Injury and Survival

In Africa’s most remote operating environments, the distance between injury and survival can stretch dangerously wide. When U.S. troops, civilians or partner forces are hurt, getting them to care isn’t just difficult — it’s a complex, high stakes operation shaped by terrain, conflict and time.

“At HII, we understand what’s at stake in these moments,” said Todd Gentry, president of HII Mission Technologies’ All Domain Operations group. “When someone is fighting for their life, our job is to move fast, adapt to the environment and bring them home safely.”

Africa’s vast landscapes — rich in cultural diversity and natural resources — also host a wide range of counterterrorism, peacekeeping and regional stabilization missions. These efforts stretch across North and West Africa, the Sahel, the Horn of Africa and parts of Central Africa, where instability, limited infrastructure and immense distances make even routine operations challenging.

In these environments, missions depend on local networks, specialized units and agile air mobility to move patients quickly and safely. These capabilities become the lifeline when traditional medical support is hours away.

That urgency was on full display last year as HII teams successfully carried out multiple high risk Personnel Recovery and Casualty Evacuation (PR/CASEVAC) missions across Africa, proving how rapid, reliable evacuation can save lives when traditional medical support is out of reach.

Operating as part of the Personnel Recovery Enterprise Services and Solutions (PRESS) program, the teams transported a U.S. military member with a traumatic brain injury from Nairobi, Kenya, to Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti; evacuated another U.S. service member injured in a motor vehicle accident from Benina, Libya, to Ramstein, Germany; and repatriated fallen partner force members for dignified transfers in Mogadishu, Somalia, among other notable operations.

All told, PRESS teams conducted PR/CASEVAC missions for 84 patients and provided medical treatment to an additional 340 individuals, in addition to providing outstanding support for other PRESS-related missions.

“What truly sets the PRESS PR/CASEVAC teams apart is their absolute and unwavering commitment to the mission,” Gentry said. “Every role, whether deployed in the field or supporting from the program management office, requires specialized skills that are both unique and highly refined.

“The complexity of operating in Africa demands coordination across multiple sources, and HII’s ability to seamlessly integrate these inputs is what empowers our exceptional personnel downrange to execute their jobs successfully and with precision.”

The HII PRESS team’s strength in PR/CASEVAC operations stems from the deep military experience of the team and its leadership, and strong connection to PR/CASEVAC missions derived from members’ individual backgrounds and commitment to saving lives.

PRESS, powered by a unique partnership with United States Africa Command J333 Personnel Recovery Branch and U.S. General Services Administration Assisted Acquisition Services-Defense, delivers comprehensive personnel recovery, CASEVAC and enabling services across Africa. These include aviation and medical support capabilities in austere and high-risk environments.

The partnership between HII, AAS‑Defense and USAFRICOM is built on genuine collaboration. Each organization brings its own strengths to the table, and together they’re able to support the mission more effectively. That shared effort creates a synergy that improves operations, strengthens outcomes and ultimately saves lives.

While the current PRESS task order focuses primarily on PR/CASEVAC operations within the USAFRICOM area of responsibility, it provides flexibility to support missions in other regions, including both United States European Command and United States Central Command, under exceptional circumstances. In addition, numerous other government organizations have expressed interest in PR/CASEVAC support for their missions worldwide, validating their trust in the HII PRESS team’s capabilities and global relevance of their expertise.

HII has been executing missions across Africa since October 2021.