Photo By Lt.Cmdr. Alicia Sacks | 250821-N-FT324-6202. ROTA, SPAIN (Aug. 21, 2025) Hospital Corpsman Third Class John...... read more read more
ROTA, Spain (August 21, 2025)- A successful large-scale mass casualty exercise was carried out by U.S. Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) Rota, in collaboration with Naval Station (NAVSTA) Rota and Federal Firefighters, August 21, 2025, aboard the naval station.
The exercise was designed to strengthen contingency planning and enhance warfighter readiness. The integrated drill, dubbed Lazy Altitude, tested the installation’s ability to respond to a complex emergency while validating medical surge capacity and joint interoperability.
The scenario simulated a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III, a transport aircraft crash resulting in eight casualties of varying injury levels. Responders were tasked with triaging, stabilizing, and transporting patients under pressure while maintaining command and control of a rapidly evolving situation. Within minutes, NMRTC Rota personnel surged clinical operations, activated command center processes, and demonstrated their ability to expand capacity in support of operational forces and their families.
“Exercises like this are not just about medical care; they are about proving that as a team, we are ready to respond to the unexpected,” said Lt. Aidan Stubbs, the Assistant Emergency Management Officer at NMRTC Rota. “The collaboration between the hospital, the base, and our emergency services partners ensures that if a real-world crisis occurs, we are prepared to act decisively and effectively.”
The training validated key capabilities, including triage, treatment, and command center operations, while also identifying opportunities for improvement in patient tracking, mortuary affairs, communication, and blood product resupply. Leaders emphasized that finding these gaps is a strength, and continuous improvement builds resilience and readiness across the installation.
In today’s complex global security environment, joint preparedness is essential. Lazy Altitude reinforced the importance of integrated training between medical, operational, and emergency response partners. By working side-by-side, NMRTC Rota, NAVSTA Rota, and Federal Firefighters reaffirmed their dedication to protecting the force, enabling the mission, and guaranteeing contingency planning that keeps warfighters ready.
“Readiness in peace, contingency, or in conflict is our mission!” said NMRTC Rota Commanding Officer Capt. Michael Mercado. “Whether it’s one casualty or many, our team is always ready.”
NMRTC Rota serves as a force multiplier in Navy Medicine’s strategic global medical support mission throughout Europe, Africa, and the Middle East while also supporting operational readiness and maintaining a strategic repository of expertise at the Naval Hospital Rota Military Training Facility within the Iberian Peninsula.
Navy Medicine is represented by more than 44,000 highly-trained military and civilian health care professionals, providing enduring expeditionary medical support to the warfighter on, below, and above the sea, and ashore.
| Date Taken: | 08.21.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.04.2025 11:05 |
| Story ID: | 547218 |
| Location: | ROTA, ES |
| Web Views: | 57 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Rota Strengthens Warfighter Readiness Through Joint Mass Casualty Exercise, by LCDR Alicia Sacks, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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