Photo By Sgt. Maj. Nathan Hoskins | Spc. Timothy Ward, a combat medic for Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd...... read more read more
Spc. Nathan Hoskins
1st Air Cavalry Brigade Public Affairs.
CAMP TAJI, Iraq – Soldiers from 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division practiced their emergency medical skills here Nov. 13.
When the forward operating base's "giant voice" sounded a siren and announced that there were mass casualties, first responders across the base reacted quickly to the exercise scenario.
After the mock patients were treated at the scene, field litter ambulances transported them to a triage station where medical personnel worked on multiple types of wounds and injuries, said Master Sgt. David Falk of Fresno, Calif., the brigade surgeon noncommissioned officer in charge, assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment.
Upon the sound of the siren indicating a mass casualty incident, all medics, doctors and physician's assistants had assigned locations they had to report to. No matter what hour of the day or day of the week, 1st ACB medical Soldiers help anyone coming their way, said Rio Rancho, N.M., native Spc. Timothy Ward, a combat medic for HHC, 2-227th.
During the exercise, the mass casualty triage station was a flurry of combat medics, doctors, physician's assistants and personnel staff – including chaplains for spiritual needs – working to make sure the wounded got the treatment they required. The critically wounded mock patients were medically evacuated to a nearby combat support hospital that treats the severely injured, said Huntington, W.Va., native Lt. Col. Dave Romine, the brigade surgeon.
The triage station was set up for efficient treatment, with medical Soldiers evaluating the casualties as they came off the ambulances.
In the exercise, Atlanta native, Capt. Alan Helmbold, a doctor for 615th Aviation Support Battalion, was standing at the doors of each ambulance evaluating patients and yelling orders to put each patient in the correct area for treatment.
The evaluations had to be quick; every second mattered.
"We have it set up so that every patient has a doctor and a team of [combat] medics working on them," he said. "They provide the initial care and prepare them for MEDEVAC."
The drill was complete when all patients were either seen and treated or transported to the airfield for MEDEVAC, about an hour after it began.
After the exercise, the medical staff discussed how the exercise went; most were happy with how the responders performed, said Romine.
"Based on an enhanced standard operating procedure we received from the Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division ... [the drill] proved to be an excellent hand off," said Romine. The transfer of authority between incoming 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division and outgoing CAB, 4th ID, took place Nov. 15.
The major benefit to the drill was that it gave Soldiers a chance to prove themselves under pressure without any regrettable mistakes, said Falk.
"It's like a scrimmage in that it gives you an idea of how you would perform and what will happen without having a loss; that is a loss of life. [The Soldiers] did great, given a new environment," he said.
| Date Taken: | 11.13.2006 |
| Date Posted: | 11.17.2006 14:07 |
| Story ID: | 8321 |
| Location: | TAJI, IQ |
| Web Views: | 192 |
| Downloads: | 116 |
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