Courtesy Photo | Sgt. 1st Class David Cantu (left), and Master Sgt. Dexter Boone (right), observer...... read more read more
FORT HUNTER LIGGETT, Calif. – Observer Controller/Trainers (OC/T) with the 7307th Medical Training Support Battalion (MTSB), Medical Readiness and Training Command (MRTC) from Fort Sam Houston, Texas, evaluated and trained Soldiers during Operation Caucasus Restore at Fort Hunter Liggett, California, Aug. 3, 2015.
Major Leslie Carlson-McIntosh, an OC/T for the 7307th MTSB and an Aurora, Colorado, native, finds training exercises like Operation Caucasus Restore are critical for Army Reserve Soldiers, and provides an opportunity to learn.
“It allows [Soldiers] to make mistakes, learn from their mistakes and carry on,” said Carlson-McIntosh, whose role during the joint exercise was as a critical care nurse OC/T. Soldiers have the opportunity to train on mannequins allowing them to learn the processes necessary to the job and help hone their skills for real-world situations.
Or as Carlson-McIntosh calls it, “train as you fight.”
As an army at war transitions to peacetime, Carlson-McIntosh feels it’s still important for U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers to train for deployments. “You never know when a conflict is going to happen,” she said. Whether it’s foreign or domestic, Army Reserve Soldiers still need to be ready to provide support where needed, she added.
Master Sgt. Neal Overstreet, a Columbia, Missouri native and an OC/T for the 7302d MTSB out of Madison, Wisconsin, felt this type of training is important because “It gets [Soldiers] out of their comfort zone, it shows them where their issues are.”
With experience, Soldiers grow and can serve in a different role at future extended combat training, according to Overstreet.
“The [private 1st class] that was here this year, will be the subject matter expert next year,” said Overstreet. “It produces leaders.”
The most satisfying aspect of his role during training is “to see things that you planned earlier on in the year come to past,” said Overstreet, who had a logistics role during the joint exercise. “To see people step up to their roles and really shine.”
The most satisfying aspect for Carlson-McIntosh was “watching the hospital grow, and watching the [Soldiers] in the hospital grow and learn and train and become proficient.”
The 7307th and 7302d MTSBs – both under the Regional Training Site – Medical (RTS-MED), MRTC – took part in Operation Caucasus Restore, which provided training to more than 4,000 service members from 72 different units. Military braches included in the joint training exercise included the active duty component of the U.S. Army, U.S. Army Reserve, U.S. Army National Guard and the U.S. Navy.
| Date Taken: | 08.04.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 08.04.2015 11:50 |
| Story ID: | 172105 |
| Location: | FORT HUNTER LIGGETT, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 172 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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