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By Maj. Michael Story
CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, Iraq -- A small group of Soldiers from the 64th Brigade Support Battalion and 3rd Battalion, 29th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division participated in Field Sanitation Team training, June 5, at COB Adder.
The teams learned how to conduct medical base camp assessments and implement techniques used to mitigate disease exposure or potential outbreaks.
“In a far forward, resource-limiting environment, public health threats are exacerbated exponentially,” said Maj. Mary Deighton, the 3rd BCT surgeon and a native of Hood River, Ore. “It is the responsibility of the [environmental safety and engineering officer] and the FSTs located forward, to mitigate any disease threats.”
Field sanitation training is an important skill for any deployed unit.
“A brigade combat team is only authorized one ESEO and a preventive medicine noncommissioned officer,” said 2nd Lt. Dan Harrison, the ESEO for Company C, 64th BSB and a native of Alexandria, Va. “A Soldier trained in field sanitation is an extension of this team to support the whole brigade.”
Harrison and his preventive medicine technician constantly travel, moving out to every 3rd BCT base camp. Given the energy draining heat or the occasional sand storm, they often find themselves waiting for transportation and preventing them from providing camps assessments and improvement recommendations.
“This is where those Soldiers who are FST qualified and trained come into action,” Harrison said.
Unit-level FSTs are comprised of Soldiers who live on the operating bases under 3rd BCT and are in better position to identify potential health hazards.
Taught proper food preparation, temperatures and serving techniques, which help reduce food related illness, and how to test bulk water sources for free available chlorine, specifically water used for latrines or dining facilities.
“These Soldiers learn how to protect themselves and their fellow ‘Iron Brigade’ Soldiers from disease threats such as insects or rodents, water-borne threats, or food-borne threats.” Harrison said.
Every Soldier has a basic idea of how to identify heat related injuries and immediate treatment actions.
“FST members take heat injury training one step further to implement systems, such as a wet-bulb to monitor the heat index, and make recommendations to commanders and leaders on mitigating actions,” Harrison said.
FSTs who are actively involved in their roles as advisors to commanders and leaders help minimize any disease threats for their fellow Soldiers.
“As the theater moves to more of an expeditionary medicine role, those FST members will become more and more of an asset for their fellow Soldiers and commanders on forward operating bases,” Harrison said.
| Date Taken: | 06.23.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 06.23.2010 07:37 |
| Story ID: | 51818 |
| Location: | CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, IQ |
| Web Views: | 289 |
| Downloads: | 212 |
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