Photo By Gunnery Sgt. Tia Nagle | Petty Officer Third Class Alexander Iwan, a corpsman with the 8th Regimental Aid...... read more read more
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Sgt. Tia Nagle
MARINE AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. – Corpsmen with the 8th Regimental Aid Station are providing crucial care to Marines and sailors during Integrated Training Exercise 1-16 aboard Marine Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif., Oct. 24, 2015.
“Our responsibilities during ITX are to provide Role 1 medical capabilities to the Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force and all accompanying personnel,” said Senior Chief Petty Officer Mitchell Woods, senior enlisted leader of the 8th Regimental Aid Station. “ITX allows us to break out our [Authorized Medical Allowance Lists] so the young sailors can get familiar with the contents and allow us to set up a Regimental or Battalion Aid Station in a field setting.”
The corpsmen will use the next several weeks to refine their medical skills in a field environment and prepare for upcoming deployments. The medical staff will operate with a “less is more” mentality as they strive to provide the same quality of care without the luxuries of Camp Lejeune.
“This ITX is obviously a certification exercise that we’re going to go through, but it also allows medical staff to be able to get a precursor to what we might have to do on deployment or during any crisis response missions that we may face in the future,” said Woods.
The field medical training completed during ITX will prepare the corpsmen for any potential obstacles they may face and keep their skills refined in the event of an emergency while deployed overseas. Petty Officer First Class Eli Hernandez, independent duty corpsman with the 8th Regimental Aid Station, says that expedient, life-saving care has become even more critical with modern day technology. Marines and sailors are constantly operating at farther distances from ships and bases which can place them hours away from medical facilities overseas.
“In the states you have the golden hour for medical treatment,” said Hernandez. “Down range that’s sometimes not feasible because it might take three or four hours to get to the patient by helicopter. So it’s on that medical team down range to stabilize those patients until a [medical or casualty evacuation] can be performed.”
The corpsmen will also use this time to complete necessary Fleet Marine Force training like land navigation and radio operations in order to earn their Warfare pin. ITX gives the sailors a unique opportunity to train alongside Marines in a new environment. In addition to this training, the aid station will also take care of any minor illnesses or injuries that may come up during ITX.
“Pretty much what we see out here is just sick call stuff; you know the sniffles, minor cuts and lacerations,” said Woods. “Every once in a while we’ll get some sports related injuries and stuff of that nature, but nothing that’s a huge concern.”
In the event of a serious medical emergency, the corpsmen would provide lifesaving aid and immediately evacuate the patient to the nearest hospital.
| Date Taken: | 10.24.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 10.24.2015 21:54 |
| Story ID: | 179836 |
| Location: | TWENTYNINE PALMS, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 201 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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