Photo By Andrew Brown | Preparedness through practice: Soldiers hone their combat lifesaving skills during...... read more read more
JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. – McDonald Army Health Center (MCAHC) recently conducted a field training exercise (FTX) designed to strengthen readiness for both military and civilian personnel. The exercise temporarily shifted all Soldiers from the medical treatment facility to intensive training on warrior tasks and battlefield medical and dental skills.
While the shift was significant, the exercise highlighted the resilience and adaptability of the entire MCAHC team and identified areas for continued improvement.
“The FTX focused on ensuring Soldiers are prepared to respond should they be called to action. However, the exercise went beyond simply honing combat skills—it also tested the ability of the health center to maintain patient care delivery with a significantly altered staffing model,” said Lt. Col. Michael F. Brown III, MCAHC commanding officer.
“This training was integral to ensuring the readiness of the entire McDonald Army Health Center,” Brown added. “Our Soldiers trained on warrior tasks and combat medicine skills, but this event also exercised the readiness of our civilians. They are the backbone of our health center, and it’s no surprise that they stepped up and ensured mission success.”
“Civilian staff played a critical role in sustaining operations, covering leadership responsibilities such as timecards, daily status reports and administrative tasks,” said Margie Bailey, group practice manager for primary care.
The exercise also revealed opportunities to enhance flexibility. Andrew Weber, group practice manager for specialty care, said “cross-training medical support assistants to work across clinics would help close coverage gaps and allow staff to shift more seamlessly when active-duty Soldiers are deployed.”
The exercise provided an opportunity to work with mission partners on the installation to provide cross coverage. McDonald Army Health Center will continue refining training exercises to maximize readiness while ensuring delivery of exceptional health care to the military community. Lessons learned from this FTX will inform future planning and readiness initiatives.
| Date Taken: | 09.10.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.12.2025 16:17 |
| Story ID: | 548031 |
| Location: | NEWPORT NEWS, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 49 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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