Kansas Guardsmen assist Army battalion to prepare for deployment

Courtesy Photo | Medics of the 1077th Ground Ambulance Company practice Ground-Air Exchange Point Evacuation Operations during a mass casualty exercise at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, Calif., June 3-23. (Courtesy photo)  

FORT IRWIN, CA, UNITED STATES

06.17.2012

Courtesy Story

Kansas Adjutant General's Department

By 2nd Lt. Christopher Kessler
1077th Ground Ambulance Company

FORT IRWIN, Calif. - The 1077th Ground Ambulance Company participated in combat exercises at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif., in June 2012. When the company arrived at Fort Irwin the command team of Capt. David Paul and acting 1st Sgt. Juaquin Orosco were notified that the 1077th GAC would be splitting up and a detachment of 19 soldiers would be moved to Forward Operating Base Denver in support of the 702nd Brigade Support Battalion.

This presented a great training opportunity for these soldiers, as they were going to work with equipment that they had not had an opportunity to use at home station, as well as support a Role Two Battalion Aid Station.

While the main body of the 1077th GAC stayed and supported the missions at Forward Operating Base Santa Fe under the 169th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, the detachment of 19 soldiers, led by 2nd Lt. Christopher Kessler and Staff Sgt. Mark Alligood, were moved to Forward Operating Base Denver. The main task for the new command team was integrating the National Guard detachment into an active duty unit that was training in preparation for their deployment to Afghanistan.

The 702nd BSB already had standard operating procedures in place the soldiers from the 1077th GAC were not familiar with. However, upon arrival the 702nd BSB was hit with a mass casualty drill and the 1077th soldiers seamlessly integrated. All soldiers immediately took up the tasks of performing ambulance evacuation, working medical tables in the Battalion Aid Station to treat patients and carrying litters. It was like they had been a part of the 702nd BSB the whole time.

During this drill, more than 40 patients were treated, stabilized and released back to their units or evacuated to a Role Three facility. At one point during this notional mortar attack, three 1077th GAC soldiers - Spc. Kien Trieu, Pfc. Michael Carnes and Sgt. Ashton Handy were hypothetically injured while waiting for a Black Hawk to arrive with patients. While injured and waiting in the holding area, Trieu and Carnes were still able to assist in treating patients as they arrived.

Throughout the mission, the medics gained experience in finding blood type, performing sutures and tying suture knots. They also had advance classes in learning to identify and treat shock, perform knee and shoulder exams, perform a digital block and insert a chest tube. Spc. Maria Alano and Spc. Benjamin Zorn had the opportunity to organize and become familiar with pharmacology, a branch of medicine and biology concerned with the study of drug action. The 702nd BSB X-ray technician was also able to teach a class on how to perform an X-ray on a patient and how the X-ray machine worked.

During the casualty treatments, the soldiers witnessed how the Biometric Automated Tool set and HIDE System was used while treating locals. This is a biometric device that verifies the identity of individuals using the individual’s finger prints and retina scan. By using this device the medical team is able to determine if a local is a terrorist or not. If the individual is not in the system, the medics have the ability to enter them in the system for future checks.

Soldiers were also able to work on real-world casualties for the first time, including dehydration, heat casualties and shrapnel injuries. Alano received training on acting as a dental assistant during a real world tooth extraction.

To complete the mission, Zorn and Pfc. Alexzander Andrews were tasked to provide medical support for the 7th Special Forces Group at the Live Fire Range. During this time, the Soldiers were given the opportunity to train with the Special Operations Group and fire the Barrett .50 caliber sniper rifle, the Special Operations Forces combat assault rifle and throw fragmentation grenades.

First Sgt. Kristopher Rick of the 702nd BSB said, “The 1077th Ground Ambulance Company had done an amazing job. The 702nd BSB would welcome any soldier from the unit to be attached to them in the future.”

“Overall, I was extremely proud and happy with the performance of all the 1077th GAC Soldiers during NTC,” said Orosco. “Operating in two different locations, being stretched thin on personnel and conducting ongoing operations at such a high level of OPTEMPO in desert conditions was definitely a challenge.”

Despite those challenges, the unit came together as a team and did everything that was asked of them and did them to the highest of standards.”

• Date Taken: 06.17.2012
• Date Posted: 11.06.2012 18:07
• Story ID: 97390
• Location: FORT IRWIN, CA, US