Photo By Spc. Yancy Mendoza | A first responder helps a victim actor walk to get medical treatment on Camp Arifjan,...... read more read more
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CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait - “The saving of a life is one of the greatest responsibilities one can bear, for it requires not just courage, but compassion and selflessness," said Nelson Mandela, a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary and political leader who became the countries first black president.
Warm air poured over the desert floor seen only by moonlight. You could barely hear the grains of sand as they rushed over a road that extended as far as the eye could see.
Suddenly at the end of the road twin lights pierced through the darkness, a bus full of soldiers whose day had just begun. Then, two more pairs at the opposite end, a bus and a truck filled with soldiers coming back to base after a long day of work, most of them half asleep. The sound of engines build, from a low hum to a deafening roar as the headlights race closer together.
Not a single one knew that tragedy would strike that night. Nobody can until its already happened.
When the sand settled, faint screams of pain rung through the smoke-filled air. The truck had been thrown onto its side, two soldiers had been flung from the vehicle onto the road and guard railing. Nearby, the two buses were idle, face to face. Their front ends were caved in from the head on collision.
Though the unexpected will occur, it is the responsibility of a select few to always be ready when it does. The call went out, and immediately hundreds of first responders and medical professionals rose to answer it.
This event was a military training exercise known as a Mass Casualty, or MASCAL exercise, ran by U.S. Army Area Support Group-Kuwait and the 528th Hospital Center, with support from 3rd Medical Command and Task Force Spartan on Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, this past August.
“A MASCAL is when the number of casualties exceeds the available medical capability for rapid U.S. Army treatment and evacuation,” said Cpt. Jacob Poore with the 528th Hospital Center, the officer in charge of the MASCAL. “The actual number of casualties required before declaring a MASCAL varies from situation to situation depending upon the availability of Army Health System resources.”
Medics, fire fighters, military police, and medical doctors have the opportunity to sharpen their skills so that if the day ever comes that the real medical calamity happens, they can be prepared.
The event is extremely comprehensive, starting all the way from the point of incident to the evacuation and high-level treatment of patients in severe condition.
“The patients would receive treatment at the point of injury from first responders,” Poore said. “This may include airway management, tourniquets, some medications, etc. Once they are at USMH-K (U.S. Military Hospital-Kuwait), patients will be triaged by the Emergency Medicine staff to direct where that patient needs to go. After that, patients may be stabilized for transport, go to the operating room, or returned to duty based on injuries and our capabilities.”
One of the biggest focuses of the exercise was making sure that the event captured the realism of a MASCAL incident.
From weighted human-like dummies in uniform, fake blood, a flipped truck, broken glass, makeup artists for injuries, and even live actors, the MASCAL ensures that what first responders get is the cutting edge of what training means in the military. The hyper realism bridges the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application of casualty care.
Having live actors is a key component to the event. It emphasizes that no, these aren’t just mannequins to tighten a torniquet around, these are real people. And putting a face to all of this reminds us of that.
“The fire department was the first ones to board the bus asking who could walk and who couldn’t, and asked if everyone was okay,” said Spc. Dereck Escobar, a victim actor on the bus accident. “Once we all got off, they helped people who couldn’t walk and told everyone that it was all going to be okay.”
Escobar is a wheeled vehicle mechanic with the 40th Infantry Division Headquarters Support Company, who has experience and exposure to first responders by working in community outreach alongside law enforcement as a civilian in California.
“The importance of keeping injured patients calm and made to feel safe is a big part of making sure the operation goes very smooth,” Escobar said. “When you’re hurt or extremely injured in an accident, it’s a huge feeling of relief when seeing EMT’s, firemen, or even police officers, show up and take care of you and reassure you that you’re going to be fine and that you’re in good hands.”
The importance of this kind of training cannot be overstated, especially for first responders. Its is the responsibility of these few to take the lives of our servicemembers into their own hands; one of the greatest and heaviest responsibilities one can possess Poore said.
MASCALS can have a variety of scenarios, whether its enemy drone strikes, natural disasters, vehicle collisions, or other incidents. There are many things in life that are unpredictable and uncertain, but with this innovative and intense training, the Army can be certain that these medical professionals will be ready.
“I received my training through the Army and feel that training was the best I could have possibly received, and for that I am grateful,” Poore said. “The medical community in the Army is small and tight knit. I feel privileged to be a part of it.”
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| Date Taken: | 09.05.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 09.14.2023 09:31 |
| Story ID: | 452732 |
| Location: | KW |
| Web Views: | 36 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Realism Breeds Readiness, by SPC Yancy Mendoza, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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