Warrior Medics Integrate with JRTC Rotation

Photo By Maj. Christopher Welch | The Emergency Medical Treatment section of the 115th Field Hospital at JRTC.  

LA, UNITED STATES

10.01.2023

Story by Maj. Christopher Welch 

1st Medical Brigade

An hour northeast of Fort Johnson and the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC), the "Warrior Medics" of the 115th Field Hospital are receiving and treating patients at their Role 3 medical facility during the 2nd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division's JRTC rotation. Located on Camp Warrior, a small JRTC annex adjacent to the Alexandria Airport, the 115th is co-located with the Aerial Port of Debarkation (APOD), where combat forces prepare to launch into the theater of operations. The staff of the 115th Field Hospital and portions of the 32nd Hospital Center (Rear) have integrated their lifesaving capability within the scenario and under the tactical control of JRTC's notional 21st Airborne Division.

"At the Silver Knight Leader's Summit in January, we were challenged by Lieutenant General Bernabe to integrate with the CTC rotations. That's exactly what we're doing here now," said Lieutenant Colonel Nicholas Baranello, the 115th Field Hospital Commander.

Although a field hospital can occupy around seven acres when fully complexed, the "Warrior Medics" have taken a different approach during this JRTC rotation. Taking advantage of the existing infrastructure, the team converted an old warehouse on Camp Warrior to fit its needs. During the mid-AAR, the 115th discussed whether the layout of the Field Hospital drives what they do, or if operations drive the hospital layout: it turns out to be a balance of both. The 7,500 square foot facility houses an Emergency Medical Treatment section, Intensive Care Unit, Intermediate Care Ward, Laboratory, Pharmacy, and Operating Room. Ambulances are staged outside and can respond within minutes to the arrival of an aerial MEDEVAC platform at the APOD.

Erecting a traditional field hospital normally takes around three days, but occupying the warehouse on Camp Warrior took only a matter of hours. Testing this concept has essentially made the field hospital smaller, lighter, leaner, and faster for the ever-changing battlefield of today.

“Being comfortable with the layout and flow–essentially the “feng shui”—was vital,” said Baranello, “Rehearsals and sketching it out before hand by the Chief Ward Master in concert with the section leads was critical as well.” Not only is the configuration more efficient, it could prove more difficult to target in combat. "We took the concept of 'hiding in plain sight' and ran with it.”

• Date Taken: 10.01.2023
• Date Posted: 10.10.2023 11:10
• Story ID: 455441
• Location: LA, US