Creating the Chaos

Photo By Staff Sgt. Fred Brown | U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers with the Effects and Enabler Team load up simulated wounded Soldiers to be transported to one of the Combat Support Hospitals participating in the Combat Support Training Exercise 78-18-03, at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, March 22, 2018. CSTX ensures America’s Army Reserve units and Soldiers are trained and ready to deploy on short-notice and bring capable, combat-ready and lethal firepower in support of the Army and our joint partners anywhere in the world. (U.S. Army Reserve photo by Sgt. Fred Brown/ 356th Broadcast Operations Detachment)  

WI, UNITED STATES

03.22.2018

Story by Sgt. Fred Brown 

214th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

In a warehouse just a few miles away from the combat support hospitals, Army Sgt. Cyrus Cajudo, a Practical Nursing Specialist from San Diego, California with 7452nd Medical Backfill Battalion, West Medical Area Regional Support Group, applies the finishing moulage to a mannequin to simulate a lower leg burn. Moulage is the art of applying realistic mock injuries to simulated wounded personnel for the purpose of training emergency response teams and military medical teams. Cajudo is just one of a dozen Soldiers from varying units that make up the Effects and Enabler Team working to push out as many wounded Soldiers to the training units as possible.

The members of the E&E Team all come from a medical military occupational specialty, including many who have deployed overseas. Cajudo feels this is the reason they were chosen for this important function of the exercise.

“I think it’s really good if you have a medical background while doing moulage, because they want this as real as it can be,” said Cajudo as he adds shards of glass to the charred-looking wound. “They don’t want someone who doesn’t actually know what these wounds would look like, because they’ll probably be making up stuff. It really helps make this look as realistic for the medics in the field as possible.”

After deploying in 2004 as a Culinary Specialist, Cajudo decided to become a Combat Medic Specialist. After receiving his nursing certificate to become a Vocational Nurse, Cajudo decided to mirror his civilian and military occupations by finally becoming a Practical Nursing Specialist in the Army Reserve.

With medical experience from both his military and civilian positions, Cajudo understands the importance of the E&E Team’s mission to create the most realistic battle wounds to increase the medical units capabilities during the CSTX.

“This is the kind of stuff you’re going to be seeing out there if you ever deploy. That’s why we need to take this seriously, “ said Cajudo. “ We’re having fun creating all these different wounds, but I think we all know how important this is for people who’ll be treating these victims.”

Cajudo along with the rest of the E&E Team are just a few of the 11,000 service members from nearly 200 Ready Force units from across the country are currently participating in this CSTX. The immersive training of CSTX is how the Army Reserve plans to prepare the critical, early-entry combat support units for any mission.

• Date Taken: 03.22.2018
• Date Posted: 03.30.2018 14:21
• Story ID: 271266
• Location: WI, US
• Hometown: SAN DIEGO, CA, US