Improving Soldier dental readiness at CSTX 78-11-01

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Crystal Harlow | Col. Ocie Drake, a dentist with the 4220th United States Army Hospital, and dental technician Spc. Sonya Gibson prep a soldier to have a cavity filled during the 2011 Combat Support Training Exercise here. The 2011 CSTX presents realistic and challenging scenerio-based training for soldiers and units preparing for deployment. (Photo by Sgt. Crystal Milton)  

FORT MCCOY, WI, UNITED STATES

07.12.2011

Courtesy Story

84th Training Command

By Sgt. Crystal Milton

FORT McCOY, Wis. – Some Army Reserve soldiers have a whole different perspective on ‘going to drill.’ A dental clinic was established here as part of an Extended Combat Training Assembly July 8 - Aug. 6 to upgrade medically non-deployable soldiers to a deployable status.

U.S. Army Reserve dentists and dental technicians have shuffled more than 1,000 soldiers through the mobile clinics in support of the 2011 Combat Support Training Exercise with more seen daily. “Anywhere between a third and one half of the patients that have come through the clinic were medically classified as Class 4,” said Col. Ocie Drake Jr., a dentist with the 4220th United States Army Hospital.

The patients coming through the mobile dental clinic are soldiers here for annual training. These soldiers come from all across America with various levels of medical readiness. Many of the Class 4 patients that come through simply require an up-to-date exam, said Drake. Many of these soldiers become Class 2 as soon as their exams are completed.

Just as soldiers at ECTA train on forward operating bases for deployment, soldiers in the mobile dental clinics are training for deployment. “This training definitely helps soldiers whose home units lack the equipment for them to train on during battle assembly weekends,” said Spc. Bruce Flowers, a dental technician with the 7243rd Medical Support Unit.

Many of the techs need sustainment training because their only other practice may be a portion of a drill weekend. Getting them out for events like this really help, said Drake. “We do this all day long.”

The mobile dental clinic has moved from its original soldier Readiness Processing staging area out to the various FOBs. There they plan to continue to process the more than 2,500 troops at this year’s ECTA and bring every participating soldier to a deployable status. “It’s easier because they are all in one central location,” added Drake.

“Every soldier, if they come through, should be taken out of Class 4 and be placed into either Class 3 or 2 by the conclusion of this exercise,” said Drake. By increasing the soldier dental readiness at these types of exercises, it increases the overall readiness of the operational Army Reserve.

• Date Taken: 07.12.2011
• Date Posted: 07.20.2011 13:51
• Story ID: 74020
• Location: FORT MCCOY, WI, US