Task Force Medical reacts to Mass Casualty Training Event

Photo By Staff Sgt. Shawn Casey | Soldiers with Task Force Medical, Multinational Battle Group-East check a mock patient for injuries during a simulated mass casualty event at the clinic on Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo, Feb. 10. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Shawn T. Casey)  

CAMP BONDSTEEL, KOSOVO

02.10.2015

Story by Staff Sgt. Shawn Casey 

KFOR Regional Command East

CAMP BONDSTEEL, Kosovo – "Train as we fight," is a common saying in the military, and that’s exactly what this group of medical Soldiers found out as they woke to the sounds of their phones and knocks on their doors in the cold, early morning hours on Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo.

Soldiers of Task Force Medical, Multinational Battle Group- East, reacted to a simulated mass casualty event at the Camp Bondsteel clinic Feb. 10.

Staff Sgt. Marcos Cruz, the noncommissioned officer in charge of the clinic, a member of TF Med, MNBG-E, and a native of Waco, Texas, planned the event. Cruz stood at the front desk and assigned Soldiers to different sections of the hospital.

“Our Soldiers and providers in the clinic had no clue what was about to happen," said Cruz. ”In a real medical emergency, we would be flying blind in here, so what we wanted to do was keep everybody on their toes and not let them know what to expect.”

The simulation included four Soldiers in a vehicle accident. All four were brought into the hospital with injuries.

“Our medical evacuation crew brought them into the clinic,” said Cruz. “Our triage officer evaluated them and told us exactly what their injuries were so we could move them to the right sections to continue care.”

Spc. William Reilly, an evacuation specialist with TF Med, MNBG-E and native of Detroit, brought the patients to the hospital in a field litter ambulance and assisted in the emergency room with one of the severely injured patients.

“Some of these Soldiers aren’t necessarily medics or direct care providers,” said Reilly. “This training helps make sure we are all on the same page in case a real medical emergency happens.”

A mass casualty exercise allows Soldiers who are not a part of the medical staff to gain experience and knowledge on proper procedures. Cruz makes sure everyone does their part.

“We do internal basic lifesaving training with the Soldiers that aren’t in a medical profession,” said Cruz. “We can use them in different sections and we are connecting like pieces of a puzzle.”

While working together, the Soldiers of TF Med treated and evacuated the mock patients to the next level of care.

“I think we were a success,” said Cruz. “We will continue to work on certain areas and do more events like this in the future.”

• Date Taken: 02.10.2015
• Date Posted: 02.11.2015 17:03
• Story ID: 154228
• Location: CAMP BONDSTEEL, ZZ
• Hometown: DETROIT, MI, US
• Hometown: WACO, TX, US