Photo By Chief Petty Officer David Kolmel | 220619-N-IT566-0009 CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (June 19, 2022) Hospital Corpsman Seaman...... read more read more
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CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. – Naval Expeditionary Medical Training Institute (NEMTI) continues Operation Firebreak during the Navy Reserve-Expeditionary Medical Facility-Bethesda operational readiness evaluation on Jun 19-20.
Operation Firebreak, sponsored and run by NEMTI, provides realistic training for military medical service-members. The exercise teaches and tests point of injury care (tactical combat casualty care (TCCC), through Role I, Role II, and Role III care. The training provides high-fidelity simulation and realistic time-based trauma scenarios in order to enhance medical decision making in a complex, disaggregated tactical environment.
"Operation Firebreak is hyper-realistic medical training from point of injury to definitive care, integrating Marine Corps and Navy teams as they would interact in a downrange area of operations," said Lt. Alexandra McGaha, NEMTI academics and training department head.
During the training subject matter experts (SMEs) follow the patients and provide real-time feedback throughout each level of care. The SMEs provide realistic medical feedback, implementing their clinical expertise and deployment experiences to further enhance simulation realism.
The surgery team was task organized from the Navy Reserve-Expeditionary Medical Facility Bethesda to support ground operations. They were aboard the ship simulator and performed surgical interventions to further stabilize critical patients. Patients were evacuated from their Role II platform to the Role III ship for more definitive care using en-route care teams from 1st Medical Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group.
"Our SMEs are vital to continue the success of this evolution. Their knowledge and experience are invaluable,” said McGaha. “Coming from trauma and critical care backgrounds, their lessons learned are passed on to future deploying units through their direct instruction and feedback throughout the exercise.”
The training provides the attendees a chance to do hands-on training with their units and provides simulations that they would not normally receive.
"This was the first time we got to come to an environment like this and train as we prepare for our deployment," said Lt. Kelly Kuehner, assigned to Task Force Engineers, 7th Engineer Support Battalion. "We have worked together a little in labs, but this is the first time working with cut suits (mannequins used for realistic surgery training) and getting to open the supplies like we would in a real mass casualty situation. This training led us to be more prepared medically and will hopefully help us save a few lives downrange. I'm very thankful to be here."
As part of the operation, Hospital Corpsman (HM) assigned to Marine Corps infantry units simulated a patrol, take contact, and rendering care according to TCCC guidelines. They also demonstrated the Valkyrie Whole Blood Transfusion system at point of injury prior to evacuation. Evacuation timelines were kept to real-world evacuation procedures in a contested environment to provide mimic expectations in stabilizing and monitoring an injured Marine.
"This training provides us the opportunity to see the continuum of care. A lot of our training stops at the point of injury," said HM3 Ryan Wessel, assigned to 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Division. "Now we can follow the patient as it moves through Role I, to Role II, and finally to Role III. It also provides us the opportunity to ask other questions from the SMEs and different levels of care that may help us in the future."
“This is exactly the type of training that the CNO is asking us to put together. We have been tasked to network and think outside the box in order to train Navy medical personnel to be ready (for medical superiority),” said Cmdr. David Dawson, assigned to Navy Reserve-Expeditionary Medical Facility Bethesda. “The staff at NEMTI are doing that already.”
| Date Taken: | 06.20.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 06.24.2022 16:50 |
| Story ID: | 423757 |
| Location: | CAMP PENDLETON, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 300 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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