2nd Med BN trains to save lives during Operation Guardian Angel

Photo By Sgt. Michelle Reif | Members of B Surgical Company, 2nd Medical Battalion treat a simulated casualty during field training exercise Operation Guardian Angel aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., Jan. 15, 2015. The corpsmen were put to the test with realistic medical emergencies and taught to improvise during unforeseen circumstances such as power outages or enemy attacks. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Michelle Reif/released)  

CAMP LEJEUNE, NC, UNITED STATES

01.15.2015

Story by Lance Cpl. Michelle Reif 

II Marine Expeditionary Force   

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - Wind from the helicopter blades tears into corpsmen as they heave a bleeding combatant from the aircraft. They struggle to hold the stretcher down as they hand it off to the corpsmen on the ground. They shout vital signs and medication doses into the ears of the receiving corpsmen over the roar of the aircraft and the distant artillery fire. The corpsmen search the patient for weapons and explosives and then rush into the medical tent where doctors begin the formidable task of keeping the injured Marine alive. Lucky for him, the corpsmen of B Surgical Company, 2nd Medical Battalion are more than qualified for the job.

In order to prepare for situations that the corpsmen may face during deployments and to keep their life-saving skills fresh, the company completed field exercise Operation Guardian Angel on Landing Zone Jaybird Jan. 11-16, 2015, where they treated simulated casualties and trained for unpredictable conditions.

In order to treat patients quickly and efficiently, the corpsmen set up a medical tent called a Shock Trauma Platoon, which includes a surgical suite called a Forward Resuscitative Surgical System.

“An STP is comparable to an average hospital, only more tactical,” said Chief Petty Officer Luis Reyes, the senior enlisted leader of the company and native of Queens, New York. “We have ER nurses, doctors and corpsmen ready to treat injuries immediately after they are treated in the battlefield. We treat their trauma, stabilize them and then send them on for a higher level of care.”

The STP is equipped to be a mini trauma center, explained Petty Officer 2nd Class Jenna Seime, a corpsman with 2nd Medical Battalion and native of San Diego, California. It contains tools such as a portable x-ray machine, portable oxygen system and a laboratory. The center is capable of treating patients for an average of 48 hours before a resupply is needed, depending on the medical situation. Another unique feature of the STP is its ability to move and adapt quickly to any environment. The corpsmen can break down the unit and have it ready for transport within 30 minutes, and only one hour is needed for the STP to be set up and functional again.

“A major reason we are doing this training is to get us back to our mobile roots,” said Capt. Timothy McCullough, the officer in charge and native of Suffolk, Virginia. “In order to operate in environments such as Africa that are so large and spread out, we need to be capable of moving quickly. The STP is designed to be basic and effective. Care is streamlined with no frills. The point isn’t to be perfect, it’s to stabilize them and get them on to a higher level of care and to save lives.”

Another major focus of the field exercise was treating endemic diseases such as Ebola. The corpsmen learned how to recognize symptoms of potentially dangerous illnesses and act quickly. The corpsmen practiced proper quarantine procedures so that any infection would not spread.

During the training exercise, simulators tested the corpsmen with various medical situations they might face while deployed. Corpsmen covered the mock patients in fake blood and realistic-looking plastic wounds. They had lacerations that wouldn’t stop bleeding until a corpsman applied a tourniquet and wore suits that spouted blood when the surgeons cut into them. Just when the corpsmen thought they had a situation under control, a new wrench would be thrown into the game, such as a power outage or a vengeful enemy combatant hiding a weapon.

“When deployed, you really need to know how people are going to react when they are stressed. You find out their true colors and really build strong bonds and friendships,” said Petty Officer 3rd Class Vincent Borg, a corpsman with 2nd Medical Battalion and native of Paradise, California.“That’s why this training is so important. You get to know everyone’s limit and what they are capable of handling."

The exercise put the company’s wits to the test and forced them to think on their feet. The atmosphere in the STP was loud and confusing, but the corpsmen continued to make life and death decisions despite the chaos happening around them. The training prepared the corpsmen of B Surgical Company to treat patients in an uncontrollable combat environment and save the lives of the Marines with whom they deploy.

• Date Taken: 01.15.2015
• Date Posted: 01.20.2015 14:17
• Story ID: 152299
• Location: CAMP LEJEUNE, NC, US
• Hometown: PARADISE, CA, US
• Hometown: QUEENS, NY, US
• Hometown: SAN DIEGO, CA, US
• Hometown: SUFFOLK, VA, US