Photo By Staff Sgt. Elizabeth Barlow | U.S. Air Force Maj. Bryan Ramsey, an internal medicine doctor from the 81st Medical...... read more read more
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SAN JUAN OPICO, El Salvador- The U.S. military has various complex operations ranging from training exercises to combat operations. Many people do not take into consideration the humanitarian missions our service members perform throughout the world.
One such mission is Beyond the Horizon 2015 in El Salvador. This mission is executed by Task Force Northstar to provide civic and humanitarian assistance to the people of El Salvador. The mission consists of soldiers, Marines, sailors, and airmen, all who have trained through various courses and missions. Through the Cultural Understanding and Language Proficiency Program, U.S. Army ROTC cadets are a strong factor in this mission.
Cadets are students at various schools across the nation who learn the military skills needed to become commissioned officers, while completing their degree. Their training mainly takes place at their college, but for these selected cadets, they receive firsthand training overseas.
The simulated scenarios cadets go through back in the states are sometimes hard to relate to real life, said Jillian Ballister, a nursing student at The Ohio State University.
“They try to make it as real as possible, but you know it is not real and you're just putting it on just to see what it would be like,” said Ballister. “Here we get to see what it is actually like for a deployment.”
Back at school, cadets mainly learn the officer side of the Army. Not until they graduate do they work alongside noncommissioned officers and enlisted personnel.
“I had no idea about the enlisted side,” said Ballister. “I spent a day at one of the engineering sites and I got to see all the work that they do and how it all works together. It was so eye-opening, and I think I will really appreciate and empathize with them more once I become an officer.”
Working with the enlisted personnel has also added to their educational degree program. Madeline Lopez, a nursing student from Marquette University in Milwaukee, was shown how to administer a shot to a patient, a first for her.
“Being in nursing, it was helpful to see the MEDRETE [Medical Readiness Training Exercise] because I could see the medical officers and enlisted work together and how well it works with the patient,” said Lopez. “Everyone has the same goal, but everyone is performing a different task for the patient.”
Both cadets found some comparisons to their future degree and their military training.
“One of the things I really love about ROTC and the nursing program is that they are so intertwined,” said Ballister. “You need to have a lot of the same character, values, and leadership.”
At BTH15, the group of 13 cadets have been rotating every few days to gain leadership experience through team or platoon leader positions. Through these positions, the cadets learn the importance of accountability.
“I had an order to give to my team, but everyone was spread out,” said Lopez. “Knowing where everyone is at is a general key overall.”
Working with service members of other branches, these cadets are also joining with Salvadoran and Chilean military personnel to build schools, a medical clinic and other structures. Prior to traveling overseas, the cadets attended a Spanish medical terminology "crash course" to be able to communicate with the locals and partner countries' military during the medical event.
“I learned more Spanish in those three days than I did completing a year in high school,” said Lopez.
Having effective training before arriving in El Salvador has not only helped the cadets build relations between the nations, but it also enhanced their ability to analyze and compare how our partner nations execute military operations.
“It is interesting to see the differences between our military and their [Salvadoran] military,” said Lopez. “Even something so simple as doing PRT [Physical Readiness Training], you can relate to them even when our traditions our different.”
With an opportunity such as BTH15, cadets received training above and beyond the ROTC curriculum. Becoming familiar with the NCO mission and facing cultural challenges, their knowledge and experience will help them to become proficient nurses and capable officers.
While this is a training opportunity for the service members involved in the mission, one cadet took away something far more personal.
“I realized how many people do not have the same medical help that we have back in the U.S.,” said Ballister. “We all need to open our eyes and realize how lucky we are.”
| Date Taken: | 06.01.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 06.01.2015 20:14 |
| Story ID: | 165153 |
| Location: | SAN JUAN OPICO, SV |
| Web Views: | 225 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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