Photo By Sgt. Mitchell Johnson | U.S. Army Maj. Morgan Schwoch; a surgeon with the 11th Airborne Division; Fort...... read more read more
BATURAJA, Indonesia – U.S. Army soldiers with the 11th Airborne Division (ABD) from Fort Wainwright, Alaska, conducted medical training alongside several partner nations during exercise Super Garuda Shield 2025, Aug. 25, 2025.
“We went through walking blood bank packages and the supplies that were contained in the pack,” said U.S. Army Maj. Morgan Schwoch, a surgeon with the 11th ABD. “We talked through the process of obtaining a unit of blood from a donor and transfusing it into a recipient.”
The training included the U.S. Forward Resuscitative Surgical Detachment (FRSD), medics from the 11th ABD, and military medics from Australia, Japan, and Indonesia.
Transfusing blood is a capability with benefits and risks, and knowing the risks ahead of time is important when using the blood kits to mitigate worsening outcomes. Expanding this training to partner nations provided them the ability to be trained to help save patients’ lives.
“We make sure that the recipient is receiving a unit of blood that will be compatible with his blood type,” said Schwoch. “Mismatching blood types can lead to a transfusion reaction that could potentially be worse for the patient than his original state of losing blood.”
Schwoch emphasized the importance of assessing the donor’s medical conditions to ensure disease is not transfused to the recipient. Additionally, the risk of having an allergic reaction to the donor’s blood is another important risk to be aware of when going through the blood transfusion process.
The training enhanced joint readiness and unified learning, communication and practices with partner nations. Super Garuda Shield is conducted in a spirit of openness, accountability, and mutual respect. Reinforcing the commitment of fostering trust among partner nations is crucial for effective medical practices.
| Date Taken: | 08.27.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.28.2025 02:52 |
| Story ID: | 546732 |
| Location: | ID |
| Web Views: | 37 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Soldiers hold blood transfusion training to support SGS 25, by A1C Maria Washler, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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