Photo By Lt. Col. Valerie Palacios | U.S. Army Col. Jodelle Schroeder, the deputy corps chief of the U.S. Army Nurse Corps,...... read more read more
FORT MCCOY, Wis. – For the second year in a row, the U.S. Army Nurse Corps Operational Nursing Event took place at Readiness Training Site – Medical, Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, from September 12 through September 14. Over 100 Army nurses from Active Duty and Reserve components gathered for the symposium which was specifically designed to inform nurses on a variety of military and medical topics.
“There aren’t a whole lot of opportunities for Army nurses to get together and concentrate on their skills and what they would do on the battlefield,” said Col. Laurel Kappedal, ANC ONE senior course advisor and chief nurse of the Army Reserve.
Kappedal’s vision was to create a symposium to bring Army nurses together so that they can conduct professional development, provide opportunities for mentorship, inform and update the field, and provide hands-on practical exercises. The inaugural nursing event took place in September 2024 and due to its success, the nursing event expanded and increased its participants this year.
The in-person, three-day event included interactive briefings, small group discussions, and concluded with a hands-on day of practical exercises in which teams rotated through several medical scenarios and skills tests.
Subject matter experts made presentations on maximizing health readiness, medical capabilities and future hospital concepts, Individual Critical Task List requirements, Large-Scale Combat Operations concepts, interoperability with the Military Health System and supporting the warfighter. Nurse Corps senior leaders were also available to discuss individual and unit readiness as well as career progression.
“I love the fact that we can get together and see people in person. And, I think that enhances the talent management process overall,” said Kappedal. She explained that when you meet and have a conversation in person, there is a better connection and willingness to continue to reach out.
In addition to the networking and interaction, the location was a key component of the event. Kappedal said the RTS-MED is where deploying units can send their nurses to be validated in the system of record, proving they are competent, trained and ready to perform wartime missions.
“The value that this provides is validation and documentation of the clinical skills,” said Kappedal. “We’re providing 17.25 continuing education credits, which also helps validate their credentialing readiness.”
The RTS-MED at Fort McCoy is one of three regional training sites available to train medical personnel and units using the same equipment used in a deployment environment. The nurse event incorporated a rotational training program encompassing clinical stations focused on airway obstruction treatment, wound closure techniques, emergency medical intervention and patient triage.
“The intent is to save lives, take care of Soldiers. That’s what we’re doing this for,” said Lt. Col. Elizabeth Miller, program manager for Army Reserve Medical Management Center.
According to Miller, the event facilitated recruitment for Soldiers to serve on the committee responsible for planning and executing next year’s ANC ONE. She received enthusiastic inquiries from interested candidates throughout the event. “It’s folks who really want to be a part of it,” she added. “It’s a good feeling.”
| Date Taken: | 09.13.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 10.02.2025 19:41 |
| Story ID: | 549862 |
| Location: | FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
| Web Views: | 169 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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