Photo By Spc. Justin Snyder | Spc. Derral Whatley, a water treatment specialist with the 431st Quartermaster...... read more read more
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FORT BRAGG, N.C. – Sirens wailed and smoke poured from the undercarriage of a broken-down Army Humvee. Soldiers equipped with first aid equipment rushed frantically to the scene in an attempt to save their fellow Soldiers' lives.
All havoc broke loose as they began to take incoming fire while providing treatment with tourniquets, bandages and nasopharyngeal tubes.
Suddenly, amidst the chaos, an instructor shouted “End Ex,” the common military phrase for everyone to stop and gather to discuss their work.
Lucky for them, this was only training. Instead of anxiously awaiting a helicopter to land and evacuate the wounded, the Soldiers began cleaning up the site and preparing to move to the next lane.
“What a rush, but thank goodness this is only training,” said Spc. Derral Whatley, a water treatment specialist with the 431st Quartermaster Detachment. “I can only imagine how crazy it’d be on a real battlefield.”
Five Soldiers with the 431st QM Detachment, while supporting the 2014 Quartermaster Liquids Logistics Exercise (QLLEX), operationally controlled by the 633rd Quartermaster Battalion here, took time out of their busy schedules to take part in a combat lifesaver (CLS) refresher course being offered.
Throughout the last week, the water treatment and purification specialists have been honing their skills while supporting QLLEX.
QLLEX is the only multi-component, multi-service, multi-echelon and multifunctional training exercise. Reserve units from the United States Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corp train in petroleum oil and lubricant exercises while producing thousands of gallons of purified water to be spread throughout the area of operations for use.
However, when approached with the opportunity to refresh their individual Soldier skills and to take part in the CLS refresher, the quartermaster Soldiers jumped at the opportunity.
“Our guys have worked really hard since arriving at Fort Bragg to accomplish the mission of supporting the QLLEX operations,” said Whatley, a native of Norfolk, Va. “Though, when in the field, you have to be a Soldier first, and that involves knowing how to take fire and provide basic first aid to my battle buddies. That’s why I wanted to get certified. I want that notch in my belt and to become a more complete Soldier.”
The CLS refresher is a four-day course offered on Fort Bragg at the Medical Simulation Training Center (MSTC). The first two days consist completely of classroom instruction and allows Soldiers to brush up on their knowledge of basic field medical operations.
The third day of the course is almost entirely performed in three separate training lanes located throughout the MSTC and simulates various situations that could take place on the battlefield.
Lane one provided a simulation focused on improvised explosive device awareness consisting of various explosions, sounds and situations. After assessing the scene and providing initial treatment to dummies, Soldiers head inside to a mock village where they encounter several scenarios amidst darkness, strobe lights and various levels of chaos.
Lane two forced Soldiers to communicate with each other while having to crawl under barbed wire with CLS kits, climb over walls and walk up and down hills and through jungle-like valleys before getting equipped with carbon-dioxide-powered paintball guns. The Soldiers entered a mock village by foot and provided medical attention to injured dummies throughout the town while taking and returning direct fire.
The final lane simulated a downed aircraft and required Soldiers to call in a 9-line medevac while providing first aid treatment to dummies scattered throughout the area.
“It’s important that every Soldier can step up in a time of need,” said Spc. Emon Taylor, 431st QM Detachment water treatment specialist. “They provide us with every opportunity to learn here. I like all the lanes. It’s different situations on different lanes, and they are all equally important.”
The fourth day of the class has the Soldiers taking a written test as well as being evaluated by the instructors for proper technique and skills.
While Soldiers with the 431st QM Detachment are thankful for the chance to learn a different skill than their everyday job, they believe the training served as a morale booster.
“Sometimes it can get a little mundane being a quartermaster Soldier,” said Emon, a native of Greenville. “To be able to get out and get some Army high speed training and get dirty, it’s a lot of fun. I mean, who doesn’t love shooting paintball guns?”
As they return to their unit and continue to provide fresh, purified water to the surrounding operations for the remaining duration of QLLEX, the Soldiers believe their new-found CLS knowledge can benefit them in completing the mission and will make them more complete Soldiers.
“It’s hot out here in the field, and you never know when you’re going to be called into action,” said Whatley. “Real quick, something minor can turn into something major without the proper medical attention. I’m proud knowing I can be there in every aspect for my fellow Soldiers, so we can all be successful.”
| Date Taken: | 06.12.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 06.12.2014 21:29 |
| Story ID: | 132962 |
| Location: | FORT BRAGG, NC, US |
| Hometown: | GREENVILLE, NC, US |
| Hometown: | KINSTON, NC, US |
| Hometown: | NORFOLK, VA, US |
| Web Views: | 259 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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