California police train soldiers to use medevacs

News: California police train soldiers to use medevacs

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Story by Spc. Michael Crawford Follow This Journalist

Spc. Michael Crawford

A California Highway Patrol officer explains components of the helicopter medevac system and their functions to soldiers during a medevac and equipment familiarity exercise at Forward Operating Base Milipitas June 17.

FORT HUNTER LIGGETT, Calif. – California Highway Patrol officers trained soldiers on medevac procedures and equipment at Forward Operating Base Milipitas, a training base here, June 17.

Around 11 a.m., a CHP helicopter landed to meet more than 30 soldiers from the 665th Engineering Company and the 7224th Medical Support Unit. Two members of the CHP showed how to use helicopter hoist systems to medevac casualties out of an environment where a helicopter could not land.

“You always need to know simple procedures, but you also need to know what to do in an emergency situation,” said 1st Lt. Kelly Holmes, a nurse with the 7224th MSU based in Charleston, S.C.

“If you know how to maneuver during an emergency… you can deal with other situations as they arise,” she said.

Soldiers practiced loading casualties onto litters to be hoisted by the helicopter and practiced rigging and unrigging litters to the hoist. Holmes, a native of Charleston, S.C., appreciated the opportunity to prepare her soldiers for deployment.

“Everyone did a great job and worked together as a team,” she said. “I feel very prepared to act efficiently, effectively and quickly in this situation if it were to arise.”

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