By 2nd Lt. Jon Morgan

CAMP UR, Iraq – An ambulance races down the street, leaving a dust cloud in its wake. Coming to an abrupt halt, doors fly open, and a medic jumps out. Fellow Iraqi Army soldiers are wounded and in need of medical care at Iraqi Army Camp Ur, Aug. 16.

Patients are stabilized for transportation and placed into the ambulance. The back doors are closed and the ambulance races furiously back to the aid station at the camp. A 10th IA Transportation Headquarters treatment team advised by a 64th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, medical noncommissioned officer is standing by waiting to receive casualties.

Luckily, all of this was only a drill. It was an effort to evaluate what the 10th IA, learned after three months of Iraqi army led training, advised by the 64th BSB.

During the mass casualty exercise, Brig. Gen. Ali Jawad Kazem, 10th IA Transportation HQ commander, observed the work of the medics at the aid station.

“I am confident that my medics can handle multiple casualties and save many lives,” he said after the exercise.

Sgt. Francisco Solis, of El Paso, Texas, medical NCO, 64th BSB, has spent three months assisting and advising Iraqi instructors on how to plan for mass casualty operations, how to set up casualty collection points, triage, trauma treatment areas, and how to evacuate casualties to a higher level of care.

Partnered with two Iraqi medics, Solis taught four basic first aid and medical classes similar to a combat lifesaver training program. The classes illustrated that mass casualty situations are not only about giving medical treatment but on security, logistical and personnel support, and leaders’ command and control to bring order to chaos.

Warrant Officer One Marquest O’Neil, of Fort Gibson, Miss., logistical training and advisory team chief, has been advising Ali over the last few months on the importance of the operational side, establishing casualty collection points and ensuring the evacuation plans were established for Camp Ur.

“Brig. Gen. Ali is constantly focused on training and improving his organization. All of his officers and [soldiers] understand his priorities and take training events very seriously, which causes them to continuously improve as a unit,” said Capt. Tiffany Bilderback, from Milwaukee, Wis., 64th BSB, logistical training and advisory officer.

Connected Media