Photo By Spc. Austin Carrillo | 190809-A-DS579-0221 GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala (August 9, 2019) - Guatemalan military...... read more read more
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U.S. Navy Conducts Mass Casualty Drill with Guatemalan Military
By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class (SW/EXW) Peter Lewis, Southern Partnership Station 2019 Public Affairs
GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala (August 9, 2019) – The Southern Partnership Station (SPS) 2019 Medical Engagement Team (MET) conducted a mass casualty drill with Guatemalan military medical personnel, August 9.
After a week of classroom and practical training on topics including tactical combat casualty care (TCCC), massive hemorrhage control, and patient movement, the Guatemalan medics were able put their skills to the test. The mass casualty drill involved treatment of a large group of soldiers with simulated injuries such as lacerations, fractures, and penetrating injuries.
“The training was very beneficial because we learned things that were new for us,” said Guatemalan army Soldado de Primera Lesbia Marleny Xiquin Yaz. “I had never before evacuated anyone like we did during the drill. I look forward to doing more training like this in the future with [the United States service members] because your practices are different from ours and when we train and practice together, we get better.”
The U.S. Navy medical professionals agreed that their Guatemalan counterparts performed well and were more than up to the task of treating all presented injuries.
“It was remarkable working with the Guatemalan military medics,” said Lt. Harun Lucas, a MET member from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. “After a week of TCCC training, they utilized all the skills they acquired to treat their patients during the mass casualty drill. I am confident that if the need arises in the future, they will be able to handle any combat casualties in the field as needed.”
“The Guatemalan medics performed extremely well,” added Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Tavonda McGhee, a MET member from Navy Environmental Preventive Medicine Unit (NEPMU) 2. “They used their skills to treat all the simulated injuries in appropriate manners. I think if they have to face any actual combat casualties, they will be ready and able to save lives.”
SPS is an annual series of U.S. Navy deployments focused on exchanges with regional partner nation militaries and security forces. SPS 19 consists of fly-away deployments of adaptive force packages to Barbados, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras and Peru to conduct training and subject matter expert exchanges to improve capacity in medical, dive operations, and engineering.
SPS is part of U.S. Southern Command’s Enduring Promise initiative and reflects the United States’ enduring promise of friendship, partnership and solidarity with the Caribbean, Central and South America. U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet is committed to supporting the efforts of partner nations to increase institutional capacity and regional collaboration for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief – one of the greatest challenges facing the region.
For more information and news from U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command & U.S. 4th Fleet, visit https://www.navy.mil/local/cusns/, https://www.faxcebook.com/NAVYSOUS4THFLT/, and https://www.twitter.com/NAVSOUS4THFLT/.
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| Date Taken: | 08.09.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 08.10.2019 00:52 |
| Story ID: | 335388 |
| Location: | GUATEMALA CITY, GT |
| Web Views: | 320 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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