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Name: Lt. Col. Chris Gookin
Military Specialty Health Services Plans, Operations, Intelligence Security and Training (70H)
Years of Service: 31
Unit: State Medical Detachment
Hometown: Colchester, Vt
Current Town: Georgia, Vt.
High School: Colchester High School
College: Champlain College BS, Cambridge College M.Ed
Q. What is your job during this exercise?
A. Serve as the principal advisor to commanders at all levels in the areas of field medical operations.
Directs and coordinates staff functions pertaining to health services plans, operations, intelligence, security, and training.
Q. How does this compare to other training or work you have done in the U.S.?
A. The MEDREX missions are real world high impact training opportunities that allow me to put into practice the medical operations planning skills the military has provided me as well as continue to initiate and develop skills in key leadership engagement with governmental and non-governmental stakeholders
Q. How much work have you done so far?
A. The staff has seen significant numbers of patients dealing with issues like HIV, TB, Malaria, as well as setting fractures, and assisting in the delivery of several newborns
Q. What is your mission in Senegal?
A. This exercise was a joint-medical initiative that included Army and Air National Guard service members working together with Senegalese counterparts to help build the readiness of U.S. medical professionals.
Q. Is this your first time in Senegal?
A. This is my 4th time in Senegal since 2012. Starting with Western Accord and now having been involved in two Medical Readiness Exercises (MEDREX). Senegal is an amazing country with warm and welcoming people.
Q. What is the most exciting part of the mission?
A. So far on MEDREX 19-2: Kolda, I have been much more heavily involved with working between the Senegalese Army-USAID & and the Joint Vermont National Guard Medical Team, it’s a very different level of coordination with a faster pace and more immediate decisions.
Q. What is your daily day like in Senegal?
A. I work closely with Master Sgt. Dykeman and the team chiefs to assign daily roles for all participants and interpreters, to cover all available opportunities for both the civilian and military clinics. Specifically, I have been working closely with USAID and the Senegalese Army.
Q. How is this mission making you a better medical professional?
A. This mission is pushing me outside my comfort zone and challenging me to weigh many different factors; operational and logistical and will my actions set a precedent or alter the Senegalese health care system
Q. Has there been challenges?
A. One of the challenges working in Senegal is the sheer distance and amount of time and coordination it takes to move personnel and equipment.
Q. Why is this important?
A. Participating in exercises is important because it allows medical personnel to be in a forward environment, in this case, Senegal. It also provides staff members the opportunity to work in more austere conditions, to push them outside of their comfort zone, and to build relationships with their Senegalese health care partners.
| Date Taken: | 10.10.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 01.22.2020 11:23 |
| Story ID: | 347311 |
| Location: | KOLDA, SN |
| Web Views: | 80 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Meet Your Guard: U.S. Army Lt. Col. Chris Gookin, by CPT Nathan Rivard, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
