Competitors navigate through day four of 2023 Eighth Army Best Medic Competition

Photo By Pfc. Tien-Dat Ngo | RODRIGUEZ LIVE FIRE COMPLEX, South Korea-- Staff Sgt. David Garnon, assigned to MEDDAC-Korea, treats the casualty’s injury during the Prolonged Casualty Care event while competing in the Eighth Army Best Medic Competition on, Nov. 16, 2023. The participants performed in a simulated austere and remote environment, with limited medical supplies, equipment, and an intermittent influx of casualties over more than six hours. The PCC event evaluates participants on how effectively they prioritized care based on injury severity, managing limited resources, and maintaining clear communication with their teammate. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Tien-Dat Ngo, 20th Public Affairs Detachment)  

RODRIGUEZ LIVE FIRE COMPLEX, SOUTH KOREA

11.16.2023

Story by Spc. Alison Strout 

20th Public Affairs Detachment

RODRIGUEZ LIVE FIRE COMPLEX, South Korea – The Eighth Army Best Medic Competition continues into the fourth day on Nov. 16, 2023, challenging participants with negotiate day and night land navigation and providing Prolonged Casualty Care.

The PCC evaluation required the teams to administer medical care in a simulated austere and remote environment, with limited medical supplies, equipment, and intermittent casualty influx for more than six hours.

Graders assessed competitors’ ability to manage few resources, prioritize care based on the severity of injuries, and communicate effectively with their teammate.

“We assessed our patients, called a 9-line for air MedEvac, and provided various interventions before the air was clear to get the patients,” 1st Lt. Emily McKinney, a pilot with the 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade said. We also had to fill out the prolonged care sheet which tracks vitals, fluid in and out, medications and interventions given.”

Treating casualties is not McKinney’s area of expertise as a pilot. During the lanes, she was faced with the challenge of treating patients that normally her paramedic would do when she is flying a MedEvac mission.

“I’ve never put in a catheter or given medications, or even hooked up fluids to an IV, so my partner had to walk me through a lot of what I was doing while he was taking care of his patient as well,” McKinney said.

Following the completion of PCC, teams moved on to land navigation, where they had to locate four grid points in three hours to demonstrate their navigational abilities.

“It’s [land navigation course] a very mountainous, challenging and spread-out course, with lots of steep drop-offs. The rain today is going to bring on an additional challenge for the competitors to navigate through.” Spc. Caleb Lefebers, a patriot fire control enhanced operator assigned to Delta 2 Combined Task Force, said.

Tomorrow, the competition will conclude at Camp Humphreys with a combat water survival test, buddy run and culminate with the award ceremony that will identify the winning team of this year’s 8A BMC.

• Date Taken: 11.16.2023
• Date Posted: 11.22.2023 00:39
• Story ID: 458395
• Location: RODRIGUEZ LIVE FIRE COMPLEX, KR