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Medics Cap off NIE

Photo By Sgt. Benjamin Kullman | Assessing and treating role players acting as casualties during capstone events June...... read more read more

EL PASO, TX, UNITED STATES

06.04.2012

Courtesy Story

2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division

Sgt. Benjamin Kullman
24th Press Camp Headquarters

EL PASO, Texas - Quickly evaluating simulated casualties and professionally administrating quality care, medics of the 47TH Brigade Support Battalion finished off the last two scenarios of the Network Integration Evaluation 12.2. NIE, a series of evaluations designed to further integrate, mature and modernize the Army’s tactical network, held its final evaluation, known as capstone, during the week of June 4.

For the past several weeks, these medics along with several other units have participated in combat scenarios in order to evaluate future Army equipment and hone the skills they will need on the battlefield.

Following two different events, an ambush and an attack on a village, the medics unloaded casualties once they arrived and quickly assessed their injuries at the casualty collection point and triage center located outside of their medical bay. Once the assessment was complete the patients in most need are moved inside to be treated by the medical personnel standing by to render aid. Although this was only the latest in a long series of scenarios since April, the medics were still put to the test with each patient. Medics with the least experience were mentored, quizzed and advised on the appropriate course of action, by officers and other soldiers with more practical field experience, as they worked on each of the wounded. Once the subject was stabilized the medics called outside informing those working at the collection point that there was an open bed and another victim was quickly brought inside.

“For some, this will be the first [scenario] for others it’ll be the twelfth, “said Capt. Jose Serrano, 2nd Brigade 1st Armored Division surgeon, acting as one of the senior medical technicians in the treatment center.

The casualties that are treated by the medics are portrayed by a mixture of role players; some are fellow soldiers while others are civilians. Some of the civilian volunteers are actual amputees and add a sense of heightened realism to some of the injuries. Several of the medics involved in the exercise expressed how the inclusion of the amputees and the realistic makeup effects added a lot to the training value.

“This is the kind of stuff I like,” said Spc. Bradley Haven, a medic with 47th BSB, reflecting on the training he has accomplished over the past six weeks and echoing the sentiment of many of the soldiers he works with, “I shine in the field, I enjoy being in the field.”

Altho ugh Haven has not been on any deployments he feels the time he spent in Korea and the training throughout NIE and other field exercises has better prepared him for a combat tour.
“We actually had a lot of injuries in Korea, I actually got a lot of good training,” said Haven

Once the casualties had been treated and the scenario completed the medics, along with their senior advisers and other civilian Emergency Medical technicians acting as advisers and instructors, would discuss each case in turn and evaluate the diagnosis and care that was given to each patient. This type of instruction, like most field problems, allows for the continued improvement of the soldiers and the development of crucial skills that in the future could save lives.

“It should just be natural instinct to do it,” said Haven. “When it gets to a stressful situation, like a real stressful situation, everything just kicks in.”