Courtesy Photo | BALAD, Iraq -- Spc. Kyle Climo stitches up a simulated patient's wound under the...... read more read more
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by Spc. Lee Elder
133rd MPAD
BALAD, Iraq -- Soldiers of the Task Force Pacesetter Medical Platoon show a lot of heart as they manage the day-to-day task of taking care of more than 600 Soldiers here while remaining vigilant.
The bulk of the platoon has only two or three years in the Army and they lack the manpower given to many of their counterpart units across northern Iraq. Yet, they find a way to get it done and protect the lives of fellow members of 3rd Battalion, 29th Field Artillery, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, Task Force Band of Brothers, who have yet to have a Soldier killed during more than eight months in this contentious area.
"We have a small section, but everybody does his part," said Sgt. Justin Folts, a Billings, Mont., native who serves as the platoon's treatment noncommissioned officer in charge. "We have a lot of good people with good ideas."
The medics' tasks include the daily sick call hours, riding as medical support on combat patrols, training the task force's combat lifesavers and the constant task of being prepared for casualties from indirect fire. Logistical Support Anaconda, where the platoon is based, is a constant target for insurgent mortar attacks.
Folts, 23, works hard to ensure the nine medics in the platoon are trained for whatever mission comes their way.
"They are very high speed," Folts said. "It's very, very rare that you find no problem children and a group where everybody works together.
"They are very smart and motivated. That's the number one key, motivation."
That motivation starts at the top, Folts said. He praised the platoon's physician assistant, Capt. Paul Ruchalski Jr., as a professional, a trainer and a leader without peer.
"He's the best I've ever worked with," Folts said.
Second Lt. Casey Russell and Sgt. 1st Class Brian Delaney serve as the platoon leader and platoon sergeant, respectively. Both credit the Soldiers for being a group that rises to every challenge without complaint.
"They have a crazy schedule," said Delaney, who hails from Commerce City, Colo. "They are always having to cover down because there is nobody there to replace them."
Russell, a New Kingston, N.Y., native, said many infantry medical platoons may have as many as 40 personnel to man them. However, since the 3-29 is a field artillery unit, they don't have as many medics allotted to them even though the unit has a daily patrol mission in and around the LSA Anaconda.
"We're always switching medics around to cover what is most important," Russell said.
Their flexibility allows them to cover so many missions with such few bodies, Delaney said.
"We do alright," Delaney said. "Our guys are young, but they have a pretty mature outlook and realize the importance of what they are doing."
Although sick calls and missions outside the wire keep the platoon's Soldiers hopping, there is always time for training. This is crucial due to the constant indirect fire threat.
"When you do encounter a situation and your nerves are all shattered and everything is in chaos, you have to be able to react without having to think,' Folts said.
"It all comes naturally. It's something everybody should do continuously."
On this day, the medics have gone straight from sick call to full battle rattle. They are drilling on treating a casualty on the battlefield and then evacuating him on a makeshift ambulance.
Its late morning, but the temperatures are already blazing. This is not an unlikely battlefield scenario for northern Iraq.
"We try to make it fun," Folts said. "It's not a real high-stress thing. There's not somebody yelling in their face."
"We practice on a regular basis what the basic scenarios are, and that's where the critiquing comes in. It's a matter of confidence building."
The medics also function as trainers. They must ensure the task force's combat lifesavers are certified to perform medical tasks and that their equipment and supplies are current and functional.
"We have to refresh the whole battalion and I have to coordinate with the first sergeants to get all the classes together," said Spc. Brian Koerner, the platoon's treatment team leader. "I have to make sure all of the soldiers? first aid equipment is up to speed."
Koerner, a 20-year-old Mesquite, Texas, native, said the battalion's preparedness has paid off during the summer months. With temperatures often more than 120 degrees, he said the task force has been spared most major heat-related injuries.
"We are keeping the Soldiers well educated on hot weather and everybody is staying well hydrated and well nourished," Koerner said. "The task force has come up with several plans whenever we get into the higher temperatures during the day."
"We try to work with the patrol leaders to make sure the Soldiers aren?t overworked during the day."
The medics have dealt with a variety of ailments during their tour here. First, it was upper respiratory infections, later many Soldiers battled gastritis as they acclimated to a different diet. Strep throat has also been another health challenge.
"Strep throat puts you out for a while," Koerner said. "You're down and you have a fever and you're losing fluids."
Koerner exudes a quiet confidence that typifies the platoon. He said the medics believe in their mission, in their leadership and in themselves.
"We are fully functional," Koerner said. "We can treat everything that comes up in here. We're definitely more than ready."
| Date Taken: | 08.08.2006 |
| Date Posted: | 08.08.2006 10:24 |
| Story ID: | 7420 |
| Location: | BALAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 205 |
| Downloads: | 29 |
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