Photo By Staff Sgt. Ian Valley | A U.S. Army soldier assigned to the 367th Forward Resuscitative Surgical Detachment...... read more read more
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FORT IRWIN, Calif. – Amid the dusty terrain and sweltering heat of the National Training Center, U.S. Army Reserve medical professionals from across the country converged for Exercise Mojave Falcon, a critical part of the Army’s ongoing efforts to ensure readiness for large-scale combat operations.
Led by the 313th Hospital Center and the 385th Field Hospital, the multi-week exercise placed Reserve Soldiers in a realistic, high-pressure environment to test their capabilities in operating a fully functional Role 3 (highest level of care available in a combat zone) field hospital, complete with surgical, intensive care, and support service units.
“The purpose of Mojave Falcon is to test our capabilities as a field hospital to receive casualties from Role 2 facilities, provide advanced care, and either return them to duty or evacuate them to a higher echelon,” said 1st Lt. Thomas Crafts, a critical care nurse with the 385th Field Hospital. “Our hospital includes 32 beds: 12 ICU and 20 intermediate care, and full support services like laboratory, radiology, blood services and pharmacy.”
Crafts, who served as the officer-in-charge of the ICU section during the exercise, emphasized the realism injected into the scenario through the use of both realistic mannequins and live role players acting as wounded Soldiers.
“Seeing someone in uniform, someone who looks like a battle buddy, in the ICU bed changes everything,” Crafts said. “It forces you to slow down, think, and treat the patient like it’s real, because in a deployment, it is.”
The training scenario mirrored what Soldiers may face during deployment, from patient reception to triage, surgery, and post-operative care. Teams worked in simulated combat conditions, navigating challenges including heat, limited resources, and operational stressors.
Col. Elwood Conaway, deputy commander of the 313th Hospital Center, explained that the Mojave Falcon exercise is part of a broader shift in Army medicine toward readiness for large-scale operations, similar to those not seen since World War II.
“This exercise is about preparing for the realities of modern battlefield medicine,” said Conaway. “It’s also the first time an Army Reserve medical unit like ours has participated in a rotation at this facility. The goal is realism and readiness.”
One of the unique strengths of the event was its diversity of participating units. Soldiers from various states and medical commands, spanning Ohio, New York, Arizona, and more, joined together to form cohesive teams.
“To watch everyone come together in this harsh environment and operate like one unit is incredible,” Crafts said. “We all come from different places and backgrounds, but here, we all support each other.”
During the exercise, combat medics from ground ambulance companies played a vital role in patient transport from Role 2 to Role 3 care. Spc. Kim Segundo, a medic with the 437th Medical Company (Ground Ambulance), explained the hands-on realism of her mission.
“When we get a call, we pick up patients from the Role 2 facility and bring them to the Role 3 for further treatment,” Segundo said. “Along the way, we reassess the care they’ve received and make any necessary adjustments.”
The ambulance company pushes forward to the front lines, where the Forward Resuscitative Surgical Detachment (FRSD) is positioned to deliver life-saving care at the point of injury. Their mission is to stabilize casualties with urgent medical interventions. Once patients are able to be moved, the ambulance company swiftly transports them to the field hospital for further treatment and recovery.
Segundo, also a certified EMT, said training in this environment sharpens skills under pressure and builds muscle memory for future deployments.
“That first patient can be nerve-wracking,” she admitted. “But the more you practice, the smoother it gets. Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast.”
The Medical Readiness Training Command executes Exercise Global Medic as part of the 807th Medical Command (Deployment Support) and the Army Reserve Medical Command’s larger mission to provide trained, equipped, and ready medical units and Soldiers for the battlefield. Mojave Falcon represents one of many integrated training events designed to support that mission.
“This is how we demonstrate to the American people that we are ready,” said Conaway. “Our Soldiers are trained, capable, and prepared to deliver the best medical care on the battlefield, whenever and wherever they are needed.”
| Date Taken: | 06.04.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 06.16.2025 22:31 |
| Story ID: | 500763 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 145 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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