Ike integrates Midshipmen during mass casualty drill

ATLANTIC OCEAN

07.12.2019

Story by Petty Officer 3rd Class Devin Lowe  

USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69)   

Cries for help fill the hangar bay as Sailors rush around emergently. To the right, a Sailor demands answers as others question his symptoms and bandage his leg. To the left, a couple more Sailors attempt to revive an unconscious shipmate. In total, 24 Sailors have been diagnosed as injured and a mass casualty drill is announced aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69). Before long, Sailors are loaded onto stretchers, given tags and moved to a centralized location by stretcher bearers for further response and training. While the stretcher bearers themselves are from a variety of rates and jobs, the injured all have one thing in common: they’re midshipmen.
For Sailors aboard Ike, this mass casualty drill is a routine exercise performed at least once per underway. However, for the midshipmen participating July 10, it’s a new opportunity to learn about Naval life.
“Today the midshipmen played the mass casualties,” said Lt. Cmdr. Joshua Jones, Ike’s Nurse. “They were able to get a first-hand experience of casualty transport, the team effort that goes into drills and the importance of knowing basic first aid on the ship. Now they’re familiar with the basics of a large-scale operation and how the different departments come together to form a team.”
While some of the midshipmen may have come to Ike with the goal of learning about one specific department, they were introduced to a variety of rates and jobs that allowed them to explore different options.
“I think it’s significant to get to experience something like this, because us midshipmen are usually just in school and so that’s all we really think about,” said Midshipman 1st Class Isaac Willis, a Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) student. “This experience reminded me that I don’t know everything. It pushed me to be more curious and really take the time to learn from both the enlisted and officer side.”
While the mass casualty drill gave them an inside look in the medical world, it was one of many opportunities available for them to participate in, along with different watches and evolutions.
“The midshipmen are here for a familiarization opportunity as they’re going through their program,” said Jones. “It’s good for them to come aboard an aircraft carrier and get familiar with not just how the Navy operates, but how a ship operates.”
The midshipmen are paired up with a running mate, an officer in their chosen field aboard Ike. From there, they’re able to roam the ship and explore shipboard life so they are able to make an educated decision about their future.
“It was definitely eye-opening to see what Sailors can do aboard a ship,” said Midshipman 1st Class Justin Calimlim, an NROTC student.
Calimlim said though he came to the Ike set on being a surface warfare officer in the Nuclear field being able to explore his options and experience different departments was really important to him and the decision of his future as a Naval officer.
“Whether in the academy or at NROTC, there are officers that teach you about Naval life,” said Calimlim. “But, it’s often from their perspective. Some of the things they tell us are exaggerated, some things they don’t really talk about, but that’s just their own personal experience. It’s amazing to be able to experience shipboard life for ourselves and form an expectation of what that’s going to be like.”
In addition, Willis said that he believed it was just as important to interact with the Sailors as it was to interact with the ship.
“I think it’s pretty important for midshipmen to be able to get to experience something like this drill,” said Willis. “It’s easy to have someone tell you all about it, but to really step onto a ship and see what people are doing every day, what the morale is like and what jobs are available – it gives you a chance to start thinking about how to adjust to Naval life so you can focus on being there for your Sailors.”
In order to help guide them, the midshipmen are given a personnel qualification standard (PQS) that outlines the basics of the different departments that make up the Ike.
“Everything on that PQS is to give a general overview and understanding of what other roles are played on the ship,” said Jones. “As the midshipmen move forward in their careers and professions, they will have a better understanding and respect for the different departments on the ship.”
The PQS can help push midshipmen to be curious and ask questions as they get signatures and gain a better understanding of general shipboard knowledge.
“The people aboard the Ike are so approachable,” said Calimlim. “It’s so easy to talk to anybody and ask questions. Everyone has been so willing to answer everything; the Sailors are very knowledgeable.”
While the midshipmen may not be staying long aboard Ike, being able to interact with its Sailors and be a part of the crew is an experience that they will be able to refer back to for the rest of their careers.
“Working with the midshipmen was a great opportunity,” said Jones. “They were all so motivated. Each one was excited and willing to participate and they didn’t even know what they were getting into when they first came down. I think their eagerness to learn, participate and work as a team says a lot about them. In fact, it says a lot for the future of the Navy.”

• Date Taken: 07.12.2019
• Date Posted: 07.16.2019 11:19
• Story ID: 331564
• Location: ATLANTIC OCEAN