Photo By Pfc. Alexis Stevens | Soldiers of the 1-189th medical evacuation unit and the 881st Troop Command take part...... read more read more
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“When you leave your home station and deploy to a combat zone, you never know what you’re going to see,” said Maj. Jon Murphy, executive officer for the 881st Troop Command.
The exercise was about finding ways to integrate everyone into the scenario and stressing them at every level throughout the units in a realistic combat theatre operation.
“Our goal today is to challenge them,” said Murphy. “We wanted to give them different situations that will provide a way to develop, to adapt and overcome challenges.”
Operation Thunder was a scenario developed over a nine-month period to train the 881st and the 1-189th to work together to learn and develop their MEDEVAC response times for future operations.
The largest challenge of conducting this operation was incorporating all members of the units into this scenario with the majority of the flight medics away at school.
“My overall goal is to create a battalion training event where we get all subordinate units involved,” said Lt. Col. Scott Linquist, 881st Commander. “It helps our staff realize what the mission and capabilities of our subordinate units are.”
The helicopters used in the MEDEVAC operations were UH-60 Black Hawks taken from the Black Hills area to aid in transporting the medics and the injured from the combat zone to a medical facility.
“This is an opportunity for us to be able to help the units that we support and maximize that skill set by providing the training they need to be successful,” said Murphy.
Some of the 881st Soldiers where once members of the 1-189th, which gives them the insight to create a realistic combat training scenario.
“One aspect of the tactical side of the mission is how they integrate with ground forces,” said Murphy. “And also be able to fly within the airspace of a combat theatre and some challenges they may see in those scenarios.”
Another plan for this event is to allow it to continue to grow throughout the year and into the following year.
“Our Soldiers need to get into a tactical mindset,” said Cpt. Brittany Pearson, 2nd Platoon Team Leader, Company C, 1-189th. “If we go anywhere outside of the United States where we are in a tactical environment, we will need to be able to think quick on our feet and react to any situation, as well as be able to save lives.”
The 1-189th, a medical evacuation unit, is scheduled to deploy to Kuwait this fall. This training is to better prepare their Soldiers for real life situations they could experience in a combat situation.
| Date Taken: | 04.08.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 11.04.2017 15:40 |
| Story ID: | 254117 |
| Location: | HILL CITY, SD, US |
| Hometown: | RAPID CITY, SD, US |
| Hometown: | STURGIS, SD, US |
| Web Views: | 31 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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