116th CBCT medics prepare for NTC

Photo By Staff Sgt. Mason Cutrer | Idaho Army National Guard Medics dawn chemical protective equipment during 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team’s field training exercise Feb. 7-10, 2019, at the Orchard Combat Training Center. Charlie Company, 145th Brigade Support Battalion hosted the event to synchronize and coordinate the 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team’s medical support for its upcoming rotation at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, Calif.  

BOISE, ID, UNITED STATES

02.09.2019

Story by Capt. Robert Taylor 

Idaho Army National Guard

The 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team’s medical support company, C Company, 145th Brigade Support Battalion, hosted a field training exercise Feb. 7-10 at the Orchard Combat Training Center to synchronize and coordinate the brigade’s medical support prior to its National Training Center rotation later this year.

“This training ensures we are all on the same page before we hit the ground at NTC, instead of trying to figure it out there,” said. Maj. Bradley Bishop, 116th CBCT brigade surgeon.

The training was a result of the brigade’s after-action reviews following its eXportable Combat Training Capability and Leadership Training Program rotations last year. Maj. Jennifer Pate implemented the training program to bring all of the unit’s medical assets together. Pate serves as the commander of C Company, 145th Brigade Support Battalion and as the brigade’s medical plans project officer.

Medics, medical planners, providers, medical operations officers and patient administration specialists from the brigade’s seven battalions attended the training. The state’s medical detachment and augmentees from the Tennessee Army National Guard also participated.

The training’s main focus was tactics, techniques and procedures between the patient’s point of injury and Role I care as well as improving communications and the transfer of patients between Role I and Role II care. Role I medical care is immediate first aid delivered to a patent at the point of injury and includes a battalion aid station. Rule II medical care is administrated by the brigade’s treatment platoon and provides more advance care before transportation to a combat support hospital.

“Pulling all the units together allows us to sync our standard operating procedures for different sections, see how all the units integrate and what each higher echelon needs to streamline processes,” said Sgt. Phillip Scheiber, health care specialist. “It also allows us to see what other units are doing and to pull ideas from each other.”

Soldiers received training on triage/trauma assessment; Role I operations; medical evacuation; medical resources; physical therapy options; night vision goggle familiarization and operations; chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear triage/treatment; mission oriented protective posture operations, heat casualties, treatment and more. In addition, medical planners were able to work on SOPs together and administrators were able to train on the systems they will use in future exercises.

“With everyone in one place at one time, we can get to know each other, start communicating and understand our roles in operations,” Bishop said. “The better we do, the more Soldiers our units will have to do their jobs.”

The brigade will participate in a National Training Center rotation in May and June to prepare for a possible follow on real-world mission in 2020. NTC, located at Fort Irwin, California, is one of the Army’s largest training centers and allows the brigade to conduct combat operations against a simulated enemy force.

• Date Taken: 02.09.2019
• Date Posted: 02.09.2019 18:32
• Story ID: 310161
• Location: BOISE, ID, US