Photo By Staff Sgt. Micah VanDyke | A soldier with simulated injuries is tested for radiation in the decontamination tent,...... read more read more
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HAMMER TESTING SITE, Wash. – May 15 thrills most soldiers as it signals mid-month pay; but the soldiers of the 547th Area Support Medical Company, 56th Multifunctional Medical Battalion, 62nd Medical Brigade, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., were excited that day because it would be their final day of certification for their upcoming homeland security mission.
The weather warmed up over the course of the training cycle at Yakima Training Center and so did the proficiency of the soldiers as they performed troop-training tasks for the Defense CBRNE (Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear and high-yield Explosives) Response Force (DCRF) homeland security mission.
After recently redeploying from Iraq, they have embraced their upcoming mission that begins Oct. 1 to be a primary medical company and one of two ASMC units from JBLM assigned to the civil support joint task force. The joint task force mission responds to natural disasters or an attack involving a CBRNE threat.
The Department of Defense has assigned the 56th MMB to be a part of the DoD’s joint task force to perform this mission for the National Response Plan and train up several companies to perform the mission if ever needed. The 56th picked the 547th to be their initial company certified.
The 547th ASMC was already trained and certified April 10-13 at JBLM by U.S. Army North on hazardous material operations and awareness, but had yet to train with CBRNE troops. Without this combined training they wouldn’t be ready for their role in the DCRF mission in October.
This unit training with the 44th Chemical Company, 2nd Chemical Battalion, 48th Chemical Brigade, Fort Hood allowed them, for the first time, to perform a combined medical/chemical mass casualty decontamination. They trained together at YTC, and at the testing site of the Hazardous Materials Management and Emergency Response (HAMMER).
Both units were quick to teach each other about their specific military specialties. This knowledge made it easier for them to perform as a team during the DCRF scenarios, which led up to the final day where they set up the exercise of a MCD site responding to live isotope (radiation) contamination. This gave the soldiers the realistic environment they needed to respond to this type of mission.
“We are very symbiotic now. They have shown us how to do CBRNE, how to do MCD, properly don gear, to operate within their lanes and when to provide medical triage,” explained Capt. A.J. Maccini, commander of 547th ASMC. “At the same time, we’ve been teaching them about medical care, how to triage patients, and how to evacuate them to higher levels of care; so it’s been great chemistry.”
“Soldiers from both companies have gelled together; It’s been terrific,” added Maccini.
More than 800 soldiers, from six installations, participated in this large-scale exercise and some local civilians helped out by acting as casualties.
“This is the first time ever working with a CBRNE unit and we were able to help each other blend in as just soldiers,” said Staff Sgt. Marisol Hernandez, NCOIC of the triage and treatment tent, 547th ASMC.
During the final scenario soldiers from the 547th and the 44th successfully respond to the CBRNE scenario while simultaneously providing medical care to the casualties.
“We had to crawl, then walk and then finally do the run phase to build the confidence of the medics to set up and treat vast amounts of patients, potentially hundreds, and we’re capable of doing it with limited amount of personnel,” said Hernandez.
Soldiers were excited to be training for a mission where they are able to help fellow Americans at home.
“It’s awesome,” said Sgt. Laramie Struble, triage and minor injury medic at the MCD site. “I went to the Katrina cleanup and it was very rewarding because we helped people from home; that has extra meaning,”
The 547th soldiers made great strides in the transition from being a traditional area support medical company into a new role as part of the DCRF mission. This summer, they will go to Camp Atterbury, Ind., to participate in the Vibrant Response 12 exercise, which will help them become 100 percent ready when they officially become a part of the DCRF mission in October.
“It’s a sense of accomplishment; it’s a specialty that you’ll see in the movies of what soldiers would do in case of a nuclear hazard,” said Staff Sgt. Hernandez. “This is a one of a kind mission. It’s very unique and the training gave us a clear visual of what to expect and how to respond.”
| Date Taken: | 05.15.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 05.21.2012 18:36 |
| Story ID: | 88756 |
| Location: | RICHLAND, WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 134 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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