Photo By Sgt. Joe Padula | Spc. David Roberts, a combat medic with Company C, 526th Brigade Support Battalion,...... read more read more
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FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. — Earlier this past summer, the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), created a training system designed to prepare its own for deployments and named it "Strike Blitz."
It's a combat focused training exercise which takes a company and all of its Soldiers and places them right into a combat scenario. Each Soldier is dressed as if down-range and tactically maneuvers throughout the entire mission fighting a determined and hidden enemy, acted by highly skilled units tasked with representing enemy troops during the training.
During past blitzes, units recovered down pilots, located high-value targets, and some even reacted to gas and toxins. Throughout the last year, the Brigade pushed and tested the limits of their companies.
Now in the new year, Strike continues to create combat effective Soldiers. This time, they geared their focus on the brigade's combat medical company.
Company C, 526th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd BCT, conducted its "Strike Blitz" when tasked to tactically foot march to a set location to medically assess and care for casualties wounded from an improvised explosive device Jan. 21.
The company of medics pushed off at 5:20 a.m., well before the sun ever came up. Nearly two and a half hours later, they reached the casualties, made up of Soldiers and local nationals.
"The Strike Blitz is one of the most intense things I have done in awhile, it pushes you to the limits physically and then once you reach that point it forces you to use your brain and come up with solutions to scenarios," said 1st Sgt. Rodney Cowden, the company's first sergeant. "This is the greatest way to get ready for war."
In mid-stream of the demanding march, the company received a fragmentary order to move out to aide a combat outpost that had been overran by enemy forces, a very realistic situation happening in Afghanistan.
"Our original mission was a medical assessment, then a FRAGO came to go to the overran COP, which needed immediate attention," said Capt. Jess Christensen, commander, Co. C. "Our company is very unique being that we provide medical support to the entire brigade so we have many different missions and this mission was tough."
Charlie Company's mission was just as tough. Upon arrival at the COP, enemy forces consisting of sniper teams and explosive devices engaged the medics, but the casualties still needed to be cared for.
"When a medic, it is still Soldier first," said Staff Sgt. Tara Muirheid, platoon sergeant, company. "When you're being fired upon while treating a casualty, you must fight back."
With a set of teams suppressing fire onto enemy targets, the other teams would attend to those urgently needing the medical care. The amount of casualties was large and dealt with a variety of wounds including lacerated necks, open and closed abdominal wounds and fractured bones.
"The 68 whiskeys got their hands on multiple casualties instead of just dealing with one or two," said Cowden. "The physical portion of it, the mental portion and the hands-on portion is exactly what these medics need."
Screams caused by pain and cries for help were not only coming from those wearing the U.S. uniform, but from the local nationals too that also got in the fight.
"The medics were on point when dealing with the U.S. casualties and part of that is there is no language barrier," said Cowden. "Unlike when dealing with the local nationals and that's what creates confusion."
Confusion and chaos is very likely when arriving to a scene with mass casualties.
"When we got there, it was complete chaos and that is what it will look like if we come upon a mass-cal site," said Muirheid. "Medics will be pushed out with the infantry lines and this will prepare them for what they may deal with."
Strike's medics performed with a great sense of urgency while maintaining a secure perimeter, collecting and caring for casualties and evacuating them to safety.
"Minutes are what matter in saving lives so we have to k now our job and know it well," said Muirheid. "The medics performed extremely well and gained some deployable experience while being here."
The importance of the combat medic is exceedingly high and their actions could be the determining factor between life and death. They are an important asset to the team and victory would not be certain without them.
"Medical care is the highest thing," said Muirheid. "We are the ones who are going to make sure everyone is medically fit for the fight and we are the ones who are going to save lives. Being in the brigade support battalion is a hefty role."
Having a medic with every unit does not only raise the medical coverage of that team, but thanks to hard-nose training like the 2nd BCTs "Strike Blitz," the soldiering level is absolutely raised as well.
"The importance of the medic is that it increases the survival rate of a Soldier," said Christensen. "You always need medics, wherever you go."
| Date Taken: | 02.04.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 02.04.2010 20:43 |
| Story ID: | 44932 |
| Location: | FORT CAMPBELL, KENTUCKY, US |
| Web Views: | 381 |
| Downloads: | 186 |
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