Medics pratice for the real world

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class David Edge | A U.S. Soldier with Charlie Company, 94th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, evaluates his new Soldier during a mass casualty exercise at Forward Operating Base Sword in the Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk, La., March 17, 2013. (U.S. Army photo by David Edge/Released)  

FORT POLK, LA, UNITED STATES

03.17.2013

Story by David Edge 

4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Public Affairs

FORT POLK, La. - Medics from Charlie Company, 94th Brigade Support Battalion, Patriot SFAB held a mass casualty (MASCAL) exercise at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Sword on March 17, 2013. The medical company staged wounded soldiers all around the FOB to test the preparedness of its soldiers.

“Today’s exercise was to see how we function in the event of mass casualties. Simply put, we have a lot of moving parts, and we needed to see how we functioned together to get the overall task completed. In the end, this exercise was about ensuring the treatment of our casualties,” said 1st Lt. Antqualene Johnson, the Physician Assistant, 94th Brigade Support Battalion, Patriot SFAB.

During this exercise the senior medics in Charlie Company where given the task of training and evaluating the new medics.

“A lot of the medics that we have are fresh out of AIT, so this is the first time that they are getting to see what their roll is going to be in their unit during a combat situation,” said Sgt. Roger Shields, the treatment and evacuation NCOIC, Charlie Company, 94th Brigade Support Battalion Patriot SFAB . “Here on FOB Sword we threw more and more complex injuries at the new soldiers trying to make it as realistic as possible and making them think outside the box.”

The new medics appreciated the training and are eager to gain the experience this exercise gave them.

“It definitely helps to receive this type of training. I feel that it is always good to practice and today we were treating the role played wounded soldiers like we do real casualties, and it is always good to brush up on things like that,” said Pvt. Brandon Loyd, a line medic attached to Charlie Company, 94th Brigade Support Battalion, Patriot SFAB.

If you would like to follow the Patriot SFAB while we are at the Joint Readiness Training Center like the Patriot SFAB’s facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/#!/10thMTNPatriots.

• Date Taken: 03.17.2013
• Date Posted: 03.18.2013 11:39
• Story ID: 103656
• Location: FORT POLK, LA, US