Air Force, UC Medical Center Train Trauma Teams
The $10 million C-STARS program prepares medical teams to deliver in-flight lifesaving care on transoceanic flights.
Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Nursing Jobs
The U.S. Air Force and UC Medical Center operate C-STARS, a trauma training program described as the only unit of its kind in the country. Eighteen Air Force health care teams complete the program each year, training for critical care on transoceanic flights where no hospital backup is available.
Why it matters
The program gives Air Force medical teams hands-on preparation for emergencies at 30,000 feet, where no hospital support is available. It also reflects a joint training model linking Cincinnati's medical center with Wright-Patterson Air Base in Dayton.
The program represents a $10 million investment between the U.S. Air Force and UC Medical Center, with 18 teams trained annually across a 13-day rotation within a four-week course. Outcome data and comparisons with other military medical training programs were not reported.
The players
U.S. Air Force
The United States' military air service, which co-operates the C-STARS trauma training program with UC Medical Center and sends its medical teams through the course.
UC Medical Center
The academic medical center of the University of Cincinnati, which operates the C-STARS program alongside the Air Force and houses the new simulation center.
The details
C-STARS, short for Center for Sustainment of Trauma & Readiness Skills, is run jointly with the 711th Human Performance Wing and the U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine. Trainees, including physicians, nurses and respiratory therapists, work in three-person teams with Air Force Research Laboratory mannequins that breathe, talk, move and bleed. The program recently completed the $10 million UC Health Darrio Simulation Center.
Timeline
Each year, 18 Air Force health care teams complete the training.
Recently, the UC Health Darrio Simulation Center was completed.
Industry Landscape
C-STARS is joined to the U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine and the 711th Human Performance Wing, placing a civilian academic medical center inside a military aerospace medicine pipeline. The partnership extends in-flight trauma preparation beyond traditional military facilities into a model that uses civilian simulation infrastructure.
Health care professionals interested in military or aerospace medicine can see how a civilian medical center supports Air Force training. The program's three-person team model and simulation-based instruction show the hands-on skills expected of medical staff in austere settings.
The takeaway
Medical professionals who train for high-pressure, resource-limited settings build skills that translate to emergency and critical care. Those considering similar roles can prioritize simulation-based and team-based training when evaluating career development.
Further reading
Explore more nursing job listings in the Cincinnati area for related health care career opportunities.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Fox19.
