CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE MAREZ, Iraq – “Incoming, incoming, incoming!” Sirens blared at Contingency Operating Site Marez after receiving simulated indirect fire.
Soldiers assigned to 4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division moved quickly across the base attending to “wounded” comrades during a mass casualty exercise, May 23.
Combat medics and certified combat life savers put their skills to the test, treating simulated abrasions, chest injuries and extremity wounds.
“We want to make sure we train [our soldiers] and practice so if the worst should happen, we will be able to evacuate our casualties in a timely manner with the proper treatment administered along the way,” said Sgt. 1st Class Eldred Brinson, 4th AAB medical operations noncommissioned officer in charge.
Brinson, a native of Camilla, Ga., coordinated the training and made the scenario as realistic as possible.
“This was the culminating training event for medical providers of Task Force Long Knife,” said Brinson.
Brinson said MASCAL exercises help soldiers find the fastest and most effective way to treat and transport wounded soldiers if a similar event ever caused actual casualties at COS Marez or COS Diamondback.
“The injuries varied from minor shrapnel wounds to … head wounds,” said Brinson. “I tried to cover the full array of things that a medic or combat lifesaver might see in a combat environment.”
Each of 4th AAB’s battalions participated in the event, treating and evacuating casualties as the exercise progressed and attacks hit COS Marez and COS Diamondback every 10 minutes.
Medical attendants raced to the wounded and quickly examined the casualties. Medics brought necessary first aid supplies to treat the injuries on the scene and proceeded to evacuate the casualties to higher levels of care.
Soldiers with minor injuries travelled to the Battalion Aid Station, and severely injured Soldiers were evacuated to the Combat Support Hospital.
The MASCAL is an important part of training, said Spc. Tina Hills, a combat medic assigned to Company C, 27th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th AAB.
Beyond streamlining emergency procedures, such exercises help medics and combat life savers stay sharp on critical skills, Hills said.
Hills, a native of Rushford, Minn., monitored vital signs of four patients while en route to the CSH, ensuring the patients remained stable until the next level of care could be provided.
“In a deployed environment you have to be ready at all times for anything that can happen,” said Hills, currently on her first deployment. “The MASCAL helps us prepare for whatever might come our way. Any training I can do is always helpful.”