Marines, sailors perfect skills at mass casualty exercise

Photo By Gunnery Sgt. Cindy Fisher | Cpl. Brian P. Konig transports a mock casualty from an initial staging area near the mock scene of a terrorist attack at Building 2601 to a more secure area, after the casualty was evacuated from the building during Mission Assurance Training Exercise 2011 on Camp Hansen Oct. 5. The mock casualty was one of about 14 role-playing injured personnel who had to be evacuated from the building. Konig is with 7th Communications Battalion, III Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group, III MEF.  

CAMP HANSEN, OKINAWA, JAPAN

10.05.2011

Story by Gunnery Sgt. Cindy Fisher 

III Marine Expeditionary Force   

CAMP HANSEN, Japan - Marines and sailors honed antiterrorism and mass casualty response skills during a realistic exercise here Oct. 5.

During the scenario, two antagonists, wearing simulated suicide vests loaded with improvised explosive devices infiltrated a notional social event. One bomber’s vest exploded, but the second bomber’s did not, and the second bomber was with the casualties injured in the explosion. A call to the military police regarding the explosion kicked off the exercise. Camp guard personnel, military police and other emergency responders on Camp Hansen then responded to the scenario.

The goal of the Mission Assurance Training Exercise 2011 was to ensure Camp Hansen-based troops have the anti-terrorism and mass casualty capabilities needed to handle this type of situation, said Maj. Ryan A. Pyke, the antiterrorism officer and camp guard officer for Camp Hansen.

Great effort was made to mimic reality, Pyke said.

Inside building 2601, an empty building used to represent The Palms Club, rubble was piled across the floors to mimic bomb debris. Volunteers from 7th Communications Battalion, III Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group, III MEF, lay under and over the debris all bearing moulage wounds typical of a real bombing.

Moans and shouts of pain from the “wounded” added to the feeling of chaos.

There was a feeling of reality to the exercise, said Cpl. Brian P. Konig, with 7th Communications Battalion. Konig helped move mock casualties from the scene to a safe location where first aid could be provided.

“It’s pretty realistic: the wounds, the explosion [aftermath], the whole scene,” said Lance Cpl. Chase D. Goplin, with Military Police District North. “It’s probably the best I’ve seen.”

Many of the military police had no prior notice of the exercise which further added to the reality of the scenario, said Sgt. Frederick King, a watch supervisor with Military Police District North.

“Everything you would expect to happen in this type of situation is happening,” Konig added. “Just in case something like this does happen, it’s good to be prepared for it.”

Military police and camp guard developed a cordon around the scenario and evacuated the wounded. Military police also located the second bomber and followed proper procedures to ensure the bomber and his IED were rendered safe.

“Everyone did pretty good,” said 2nd Lt. Mark A. Ferris, a watch commander with Military Police District North and an observer for the exercise. “They handled it quickly.”

A key lesson from the exercise was the importance of communication between the Camp Emergency Operations Center – the camp’s command and control hub during crisis situations – and the tenant units and organizations that would provide assistance, Pyke said.

“There’s a lot of command and control involved,” he said. “We do the exercise here to work through the command and control issues – to work through the bugs.”

The exercise also allowed camp staff to test the camp’s mass notification system, he added.

In all, the exercise was a success, Pyke said.

“There were some good lessons learned,” he said adding “additional exercises will be planned to ensure Camp Hansen’s troops remain ready to ensure safety and security on the camp.”

• Date Taken: 10.05.2011
• Date Posted: 10.13.2011 01:28
• Story ID: 78412
• Location: CAMP HANSEN, OKINAWA, JP