Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Travis Decker | 240607-N-KC192-2039 VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (June 7, 2024) Service members from the United...... read more read more
JOINT EXPEDITIONARY BASE LITTLE CREEK-FORT STORY, Va. - Over 35 Sailors, soldiers, and airmen, collaborated during an interoperability medical training exercise, June 4 -7, 2024. This four-day event featured hyper-realistic medical training, capability displays, and medical scenarios involving chemical, biological, and radiological agents, showcasing the critical role of medical teams in operational settings.
The exercise showcased not only the medical expertise and advanced capabilities of the participating teams but also their commitment to seamless operational integration.
The exercise began with Navy Medicine’s Expeditionary Medical teams conducting a thorough inventory inspection to ensure readiness. This preparatory step was crucial for identifying potential equipment gaps and addressing real-life issues in a controlled environment, enhancing both preparedness and response capabilities.
Nine commands and platforms from across the Armed Service participated in the medical training exercise to include:
● Naval Medical Forces Atlantic
● Navy and Marine Corps Force Health Protection Command (NMCPHC)
● Expeditionary Resuscitative Surgical System (ERSS) A
● En-Route Care System (ERCS) B
● Forward Deployable Preventive Medicine Unit Two (FDPMU 2)
● Army 48th Chemical Brigade
● Healthcare Simulation and Bioskills Training Center
● Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA)
● Air Force Critical Care Air Transport Team (CCAT)
Field hospitals were set up, and Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 2 facilitated hoist training and helicopter familiarization flights, simulating patient conditions during air transport. Lt. Col. Albert Koerner of the 316th Medical Group praised the integration of Air Force Critical Care Air Transport teams on the new C-146 ‘Wolfhound’ aircraft, highlighting the collaborative learning between Navy ERCS teams and Air Force medical personnel.
“This has been a fantastic opportunity to bring together Army, Navy, and Air Force elements with some Marines thrown in at times,” said Lt. Col. Albert Koerner, assigned to the 316th Medical Group. “The Wolfhound is an aircraft that we don't traditionally move on and with the Navy ERCS teams, we are able to pool the experience between us and learn from each other.”
Lt. Cmdr. Rachelle Magalhaes, a medical planner from Naval Medical Forces Atlantic, led the second day of training with an in-brief and detailed briefings on decontamination and the capabilities of various medical units. Demonstrations by the Army 48th Chemical Brigade and FDPMU 2 illustrated the practical applications of their skills in chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) environments.
The training culminated in realistic medical scenarios, including CBRN and non-CBRN situations with simulated patients. Participants navigated accurate-to-life conditions, enhancing their ability to coordinate complex medical responses. Throughout the exercise, medical teams demonstrated significant improvement in inter-service coordination, essential for seamless operations in real-world missions.
“When FDPMU 2 and the Army CBRN team work together, it helps both groups understand their capabilities and limitations and figure out how we can best support each other. If we do this in exercises, then when we go into combat or a CBRN environment together, we already know how to work together effectively, which will allow us to operate seamlessly.”
After four days of intense training, the exercises concluded with comprehensive feedback sessions where participants identified areas for improvement and celebrated instances where expertise shined, falling in line with the Chief of Naval Operations ‘Get Real Get Better’ principles, which emphasizes honest assessment and continuous improvement. While the overall goal is to implement the identified improvements, the training environment also sharpened skills and built strong bonds, fostering camaraderie and enhancing the effectiveness and lethality of the Armed Services.
Lt. Cmdr. Magalhaes emphasized the importance of joint training across the branches of the United States Military: “I feel confident in saying that we've proven here that joint service coordination and cooperation is one of the best ways to accomplish the mission wherever we are, whatever the fight is. We learned a lot from our sister services. We know that we may have gaps that we need them to help fill, and by working with the right capabilities, it only makes us stronger.”
NMFL, headquartered in Portsmouth, Virginia, delivers operationally focused medical expertise and capabilities to meet Fleet, Marine and Joint Force requirements by providing equipment, sustainment and maintenance of medical forces during combat operations and public health crises. NMFL provides oversight for 21 NMRTCs, logistics, and public health and dental services throughout the U.S. East Coast, U.S. Gulf Coast, Cuba, Europe, and the Middle East.
Navy Medicine – represented by more than 44,000 highly-trained military and civilian health care professionals – provides enduring expeditionary medical support to the warfighter on, below, and above the sea, and ashore.
| Date Taken: | 06.07.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 06.28.2024 13:38 |
| Story ID: | 475155 |
| Location: | VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 52 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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