Ohio National Guard Soldier in critical condition after airborne training operation incident

COLUMBUS, OH, UNITED STATES

10.20.2010

Courtesy Story

Ohio National Guard Public Affairs

COLUMBUS, Ohio — An Ohio National Guard soldier was listed in critical condition at Grant Medical Center following an incident during an airborne training operation Wednesday, Oct. 20, at the Rickenbacker Air National Guard base here.

Dr. Douglas Paul, the chief of trauma at Grant Medical Center, said the soldier was listed in critical condition in the intensive care unit.

Four soldiers were transported to area hospitals for injuries suffered during the training jump at about 1 p.m. Wednesday.

The soldiers conducting the airborne operation were from the Army Reserve’s 412th Civil Affairs Battalion and 346th Psychological Operations Battalion, and the Ohio National Guard’s B Company, 2nd Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group. The troops jumped from a C-130 Hercules cargo airplane flown by the 911th Airlift Wing, an Air Force Reserve unit out of Pittsburgh, Pa.

The 121st Air Refueling Wing Fire Department responded and performed first aid, then called in paramedics from local fire departments in Columbus, Hamilton Township and Madison Township, who transported the injured troops to area hospitals by ambulance for treatment, said Dennis Atkins, the assistant base fire chief.

Training operations such as this are an important and necessary part of reserve-component training as the current pace of deployments have transformed the Guard and Reserve from a strategic reserve to an operational reserve, said Maj. Gen. Gregory L. Wayt, Ohio adjutant general.

―We do everything we can to ensure the safety of our troops during training events and real-world operations,‖ Wayt said.

Leaders conduct risk assessments prior to all training events to mitigate risks and ensure proper safety precautions are taken, he added.

―Right now, our main focus is ensuring our soldier, and all of the soldiers, receive the best possible care,‖ Wayt said.

• Date Taken: 10.20.2010
• Date Posted: 10.21.2010 12:04
• Story ID: 58566
• Location: COLUMBUS, OH, US