Casualty evacuation, also known as CASEVAC or by the callsign Dustoff or colloquially Dust Off, is a military term for the emergency patient evacuation of casualties from a combat zone. Casevac can be done by both ground and air. "DUSTOFF" is the callsign specific to U.S. Army Air Ambulance units.

Why is Medevac called Dustoff?

In 1963, the U.S. Army 57th Medical Detachment (Helicopter Ambulance) commander started using the radio call sign "Dustoff" for his medical evacuation chopper. The name arose, in part, because of the clouds of dust that would billow up when the helicopters took off or landed.

What is a Dustoff pilot?

“Dustoff” soon became synonymous with all helicopter ambulance units operating in Vietnam. ... The crew usually consisted of four men–two pilots with one acting as a commander, a medic assigned to evacuate evacuating the wounded, and the crew chief whose role was also to keep the chopper in top condition.