Marines on Okinawa build on medical aid basics, training begins at medical simulation center on Hansen

Photo By Cpl. Abigail Brown | A student in the Combat Lifesaver Course at the new medical simulation center on Camp Hansen inserts a nasopharyngeal airway into the nose of a practice dummy during the course's final testing Sept. 10. The tube establishes an airway when a patient is unconscious.  

OKINAWA, OKINAWA, JAPAN

09.10.2009

Story by Cpl. Abigail Brown 

III Marine Expeditionary Force   

OKINAWA, Japan - After several months work and almost one million dollars, III Marine Expeditionary Force unveiled a new medical simulation center during a ceremony on Camp Hansen Sept. 10.

The center, a refurbished building, was designed for medical instruction. Eventually it will include wireless-controlled medical dummies that will breathe, moan, bleed and move.

They will be used in a room with a simulated combat environment filled with fog, rubble and strobe lights.

"The simulation center will give Marines and sailors the skills they need to respond appropriately to save lives," Navy Capt. Russel Gilbert, force surgeon, III Marine Expeditionary Force, said.

Lt. Gen. Richard Zilmer, III MEF and Marine Corps Bases Japan commanding general, tasked the surgeon's office with opening the center several months ago.

Gilbert, who was in charge of the refurbishment, said he and his staff had to procure the building and coordinate with the facilities maintenance staff to redesign the building with a classroom and simulation center.

"This is important, because there are currently Marines and sailors in dangerous and remote areas where serious injuries can occur," Gilbert said. "That includes combat and training."

The center was put to use during the ribbon cutting ceremony. Corpsmen from several units combined forces to teach a Combat Lifesaver Course.

"This was an all-hands effort to ensure these Marines are well trained," said Master Chief Petty Officer Dave Jones, command master chief, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing. "It's an important course for Marines to save their own lives and their buddies' lives."

During the three-day course, students learn to treat pneumothorax, burns and heat-related injuries.

Students also received an introduction to intravenous therapy and how to control hemorrhage, which is the number one cause of death in combat.

"It's a step above the four lifesaving steps at boot camp," said Warrant Officer 1 Jose Colon, counter-intelligence officer, 3rd Intelligence Battalion, III MEF. "It expands on the basic knowledge Marines already have and lets them put it to practice."

In addition to hosting classes, the medical simulation center will have open practice time about 44 weeks a year so Marines can work on specific skills before a deployment.

"Our goal is to have a state of the art facility to train Marines, sailors, medical officers, nurses and dentists to respond to life-threatening injuries," Gilbert said. "We are very grateful to Lieutenant General Zilmer for making this a possibility, and to all the men and women who have worked so hard to get this together."

• Date Taken: 09.10.2009
• Date Posted: 09.22.2009 21:04
• Story ID: 39157
• Location: OKINAWA, OKINAWA, JP