557th ASMC leads medical training with NATO medical partners at Trident Juncture 2015

Photo By 94th Airlift Wing | Spc. Jake Pettrow (top left), 71st Medical Detachment Preventive Medicine’s Preventative Medicine Specialist, 421st Multifunctional Medical Battalion (MMB), works with Danish Army’s 2 Medical Cot 3rd PLT and 173rd Airborne Brigade during training at a trauma lane at Trident Juncture 2015. 421st MMB and 2 Medical Coy 3rd PLT provided role I medical care in Chinchilla, Spain (U.S. Army photo courtesy of Pfc. Jing Jin, 557th Medical Company (Area Support))  

CHINCHILLA DE MONTEARAGON, SPAIN

11.05.2015

Courtesy Story

421st Medical Multifunctional Battalion

By Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Johnson
557th Medical Company (Area Support)

CHINCHILLA, Spain – The 557th Medical Company (Area Support), 421st Multifunctional Medical Battalion, 30th Medical Brigade, conducted medical training classes for British, Danish, and U.S. Army medical personnel while providing medical coverage at in Chinchilla, Spain at Trident Juncture 2015, NATO’s largest exercise since 2002.

Classes covered sick call procedures, medication orientation, obtaining intravenous access, trauma procedures and scenarios, and patient extraction from wheeled and tracked vehicles.

One obstacle to teaching was language due to the many languages spoken among the medical providers from different cultures, but the language barriers were overcome by relying on basic military and medical terminology that are similar to each country’s military.

557th ASMC medical providers were able to see the similarities and differences of execution of medical capabilities between their own and other nations.

"The Danish medics are very modular, and they give significant authority and responsibility to junior NCOs, which allowed them to react and adapt quickly to our integrated teams," said Capt. Donald Foss, Patient Hold Nurse for 557th ASMC.

For some Soldiers in 557th ASMC this exercise is not the first time they have worked with medical providers from other countries.

"I have worked with medics from quite a few different nations while in Europe, but never as closely as on this exercise," said Capt. Karl Kelson, physician assistant for 557th ASMC. “Overall we've found that there are more similarities than differences in our medical and operational processes, making the cooperation of forces easy."

557th ASMC provided role I medical support, drop zone medical coverage for airborne operations, and augmented medical coverage to other NATO allied partners such as the Royal Irish Guard.

• Date Taken: 11.05.2015
• Date Posted: 11.13.2015 08:20
• Story ID: 181864
• Location: CHINCHILLA DE MONTEARAGON, ES