Photo By Airman 1st Class Amber Anderson | Airmen complete tactical combat casualty care training during IRT Hoosier Care at...... read more read more
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The Innovative Readiness Training mission IRT Hoosier Care has provided numerous opportunities to service members while providing no-cost care to the Hoosier community. In addition to the extensive healthcare experience gained through providing patient care, service members performed several types of training.
Hands-on training, in particular, has proven invaluable during the mission.
According to Air Force Col. Richard Bradley, a medical provider with the 181st Intelligence Wing, many medical personnel do not perform medical care in their civilian lives. IRT Hoosier Care provides the opportunity for medical service members to interact directly with patients.
Service members were also provided an opportunity to train in areas outside of their regular military duties.
“Some of our medics who normally do lab work or immunizations during drill are now watching how to do pretty significant dental procedures,” said Bradley. “They're learning how to [obtain medical] history and talk to patients who are chronically ill.”
Indeed, service members saw a variety of patients.
According to Bradley, care during drill for guardsmen is often limited to other service members who tend to have a base level of wellness. Military medical providers treated the young and old, in addition to the under-uninsured, during IRT Hoosier Care.
That variety of medical care enhances the skills of service members.
“Personnel learned to treat ailments they would see if called to respond to a major disaster or during wartime,” said Air Force Tech. Sgt. Briana Polter, a medic and tactical combat casualty care instructor with the 181st IW.
According to Polter, caring for patients with varied medical histories presents unique medical situations, which requires more specialized care. The ability for service members to train with those patients presents a big opportunity for service members to learn and think outside of the box.
That line of thinking was further developed in service members during TCCC training that also took place during IRT Hooser Care. Developed by the U.S. Defense Health Agency, TCCC is the battlefield, pre-hospital standard of care.
“We've gone decades perfecting our medical skills in those emergent wartime situations,” said Polter. “Things like tourniquets and airway adjuncts are going to stabilize people immediately so that they can live and get more definitive care.”
To be sure, service members recognize the importance of TCCC training.
“TCCC is phenomenal,” said Air Force Master Sgt. James Hammock, the non-commissioned officer-in-charge for IRT Hoosier Care and member of the 181st Medical Group. “It's an upgrade to any kind of combat lifesaver that we've done in the past.”
Because of the multi-day nature of IRT Hoosier Care, service members were able to develop a training rhythm to instill critical skill sets.
Hammock explained that all skills are perishable. The ability to practice them in repetition like in TCCC during IRT Hoosier Care anchors a service member's proficiency, developing them to maintain a higher level of readiness.
Indeed, service members were able to help their local community while simultaneously training in critical skills within a controlled environment during IRT Hoosier Care, illustrating the National Guard motto of always being ready to respond to crises.
| Date Taken: | 06.13.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 06.13.2023 20:03 |
| Story ID: | 447096 |
| Location: | TERRE HAUTE, INDIANA, US |
| Hometown: | EVANSVILLE, INDIANA, US |
| Hometown: | INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, US |
| Hometown: | TERRE HAUTE, INDIANA, US |
| Web Views: | 93 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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