When readying the cargo bay of an aircraft to transport patients, Lt. Col. Sharon Carlson, a flight nurse with the 446th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron at McChord Field, is constantly in motion, checking to make sure everything is where it needs to be and properly hooked up.

"You're so absorbed in what you're doing," she said.

She often has little time to reflect on what her role in the bigger picture is. But that's no longer the case.

Carlson, along with five other Reservists from the 446th AES, was filmed during a session at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., months ago for a part in the movie Rescue.

Rescue takes an inside look at the work of saving lives in the face of a natural disaster. Behind the scenes, the film follows a Canadian naval commander, two pilots and a volunteer rescue technician as they train for action. When an earthquake strikes Haiti in 2010, creating one of the biggest humanitarian disasters of the century, the audience is brought along, joining with the massive effort that brings military and civilian responders and hardware from around the world.

Carlson and her fellow Reservists attended a premier screening of the film July 21 at Galaxy Theaters in Tacoma.

"It was fun ... really fun," said Carlson, who works as a lieutenant in the Tacoma Fire Department in her civilian job. "Everybody started cheering when we came on the screen."

The scenes featuring the Reservists showed them briefing the crew, setting up the aircraft and transporting patients. The movie even featured sped-up footage of the cargo bay being set up.

"I wish it was that easy," Carlson said with a laugh. "It was definitely a different take on it."

The film does a great job of letting people know about the Air Guard and Air Force Reserve's important role in worldwide rescue efforts, said Col. Lane Seaholm, 446th Airlift Wing vice commander.

"It really gave a connectivity to work Reservists are doing in their civilian jobs and what they're doing in the military," Seaholm said of the film.

The film also sheds a great light on the aeromedical evacuation career field and its important role in saving lives, he said.

"There is an opportunity to see that on screen and help folks get a little closer to the folks that do that work," the colonel said.

Being part of the movie is something Carlson will cherish for a long time.

"It was a faboulous experience," she said. "I'm glad we were able to do it."

While Rescue is not currently playing in Washington, the film's producers say theaters will be added on an ongoing basis. The film will have active distribution for several years.

For more information or to check locations, visit www.rescue-film.com.