12th Marine Regiment rehearse Medical Evacuation

Photo By Staff Sgt. Anne Henry | Navy Lt. Marc Molenat, right, and Senior Chief Petty Officer Reese D. Ritter, left, demonstrate how to apply a neck brace to a mock casualty here July 14 during the Korean Marine Exchange Program 12-7. KMEP 12-7, which will include participation from 8th Artillery Battalion, ROK Marine Corps, is designed to enhance and improve the tactical interoperability of ROK and U.S. Marine Corps forces. Molenat is the regimental surgeon and Ritter is the regimental medical senior enlisted advisor. Both are with 12th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force. (Marine Corps photo by Pfc. Anne K. Henry)  

TONGHYEON-RI, 26, SOUTH KOREA

07.14.2012

Courtesy Story

III Marine Expeditionary Force   

TONGHYEON-RI, Republic of Korea -- Marines and sailors rehearsed a medical evacuation here July 14 during the Korean Marine Exchange Program 12-7.

The exercise consisted of evacuating a mock casualty from the artillery ranges that will be used throughout the exercise.

“At every field exercise we go to, we like to go through a practice medical evacuation exercise before [the exercise] begins,” said Navy Lt. Marc Molenat, the regimental surgeon with 12 Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force. “It’s a pattern of rescuing an injured Marine to assure that everything is good to go on our end.”

The medical evacuation rehearsal is critical as it allows Marines and sailors to brush up on their skills and allows them to become familiar with the terrain and ranges the exercise will be conducted on.

“This training is how we prepare for the real world.” said Senior Chief Petty Officer Reese D. Ritter, the regimental medical senior enlisted advisor with the regiment. “Without it, we may forget what the critical part of treating a patient is.”

In addition to the medical training the corpsmen will receive during the exercise, they also have the opportunity to interact with Marines in a field environment.

“The corpsmen will understand how critical their involvement is for the well being of the Marines during this exercise,” said Ritter. “It’s my goal for my corpsmen to be as highly trained as possible.”

KMEP 12-7 is scheduled to continue until August 14 and will include participation from the 8th Artillery Battalion, ROK Marine Corps at St. Barbara and Nightmare live-fire ranges. The overarching goal of the exercise is to enhance and improve the tactical interoperability of ROK and U.S. Marine Corps forces.

• Date Taken: 07.14.2012
• Date Posted: 07.14.2012 23:03
• Story ID: 91555
• Location: TONGHYEON-RI, 26, KR