185th Medical Group travels south for Savannah Storm Exercise

Photo By Master Sgt. Michael McGhee | Members of the Medical Group, 185th Air Refueling Wing, Sioux City, Ia., participate in the Savannah Storm Exercise at the Savannah Air National Guard Base in Georgia. Lt. Col. Mohan Akella, triage physician, writes up his treatment assessment while Airmen 1st Class Shanah Herman, triage staff member, finishes vitals on the patient. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Michael McGhee/Released)  

SIOUX CITY, IA, UNITED STATES

08.13.2018

Story by Tech. Sgt. Michael McGhee 

185th Air Refueling Wing, Iowa Air National Guard

Training plays a key role in medical readiness. This year the Medical Group, 185th Air Refueling Wing, travelled to Savannah, Georgia to participate in the Savannah Storm Exercise. The training began with classroom time testing Airmen’s knowledge on practical skills and culminated with a mass-casualty exercise based on a hurricane scenario.
Pre-exercise training focused on sanitation/site surveillance, public health (to include medical intelligence, bug bites, and rabies), and emergency triage. The practical training involved breaking the group into several teams, prepping equipment and practicing litter transportation.
“We don’t want our members to be blind going into the exercise, so we give them the necessary tools to succeed.” said Senior Master Sgt. Mellisa Sanchez, exercise evaluation team member. “We get them familiar with the MRRT (Medical Rapid Response Team) bags, we get them familiar with litter carries. It’s more of a clinical hospital setting. When we deploy, it’s more of a combat readiness setting and that’s what we’re training on here.”
As part of an MRRT, members were placed into various roles as staging personnel, or part of the triage team. This type of setup can be critical in meeting the needs of survivors, in an environment where every second counts. The MRRT’s performed an initial field assessment of each patient labeling them green or red. Patients labeled green, had superficial wounds, while those marked red, required immediate medical attention.
“We’ll pretty much use all of our skills on these types of exercises,” said Staff Sgt. Zachary Cassens, aerospace medical service member. “We’re the ones in the field, triaging patients taking care of them, providing first response.”
During the mass-casualty exercise, team members worked together executing the mission while simultaneously increasing their number of certified personnel. Through the Savannah Storm Exercise, the Medical Group rehearsed several public health scenarios, trained 37 Airmen in Self Aid Buddy Care and certified 10 medical team members in their Emergency Medical Technician qualifications.
“I think the training has been very successful,” said Sanchez. "I also think, coming to a different location versus home station is a huge morale booster, especially for the junior enlisted. They want to deploy. They want to work in the field, get their hands dirty out treating a [moulage] patient, while at the same time gaining valuable experience.”

• Date Taken: 08.13.2018
• Date Posted: 08.15.2018 15:59
• Story ID: 288945
• Location: SIOUX CITY, IA, US