Conference Speakers

Col. Michael Policastro is the Commander of the 445th Aeromedical Staging Squadron, 445th Airlift Wing, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. The mission of the ASTS is to provide comprehensive medical care and support for the injured or ill service members as they transition through the aeromedical evacuation system. This involves ensuring that patients are stable, prepared and ready for air transport to higher levels of medical care. Most recently, Col. Policastro was the Officer in Charge of the Critical Care Air Transport Team at the 445th Aeromedical Staging Squadron. The Critical Care Air Transport Teams are specialized medical units used to provide advanced medical care to the critically ill or injured patients during air transport. CCATTs play a crucial role in military operations by ensuring that wounded service members receive continuous, high level medical care adapted to the constraints of in-flight air environments thus improving survival and recovery rates for the critically injured personnel. Additionally, Col. Policastro is a Board Certified Emergency Medicine physician in Cincinnati, Ohio with over twenty three years clinical practice experience at combined academic, trauma, urban and community Emergency Departments.

Col. Michael Policastro entered the Air Force in January 2014 through direction commission in the Medical Corps as a Traditional Reservist at the rank of Major. He was assigned to the 445th Aeromedical Staging Squadron formally validating as a Critical Care Air Transport Physician. In 2018-2019, Col. Policastro deployed to AL Udeid Air Base, Qatar in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel/Inherent Resolve as a CCATT Physician. Recently, Col. Policastro deployed to Camp Lemmonier, Djibouti, for Operation Enduring Freedom at Combined Joint Task Force- Horn of Africa.