NAVAL AIR STATION FORT WORTH JOINT RESERVE BASE, Texas -- More than 120 Airmen, Sailors, and Marines spent the predawn hours of Saturday, Aug. 19, 2017, consumed with the preparation and execution of the 301st Medical Squadron Joint Mass Casualty Exercise.
The exercise, which is an annual requirement for the medical squadron, gave participants an opportunity to refresh and hone their skills.
“The purpose of this military scenario is to increase joint forces readiness and ability to effectively collaborate in the planning and implementation of rapid medical interventions, i.e. triaging, life stabilizing treatments, air evacuation of troops and injured personnel to safety and access to a higher level of care,” Air Force Lt. Col. Patricia Herbelin, 301 MDS chief administrator said.
For the exercise, members simulated being deployed to a base hospital that received mass casualties. Near this hospital, was a Marine flight line, so crew masters of Marine Air Refueling and Transport Squadron-234 configured their KC-130 with litter stanchions and seats to facilitate the evacuation of patients, medical attendants, and troops, according to Herbelin.
To evaluate the exercise and its participants, members from the wing inspection team (WIT) were on hand to observe.
According to Air Force Lt. Col. Styvette Turnbull, a 301 MDS clinical nurse and WIT team member for the exercise, her goal is to inspect how the flow goes, to see if there are any discrepancies, and to observe what things need to change or stay the same.
While several WIT members observed the exercise, Marine Cpl. Alexander Daniels, a Marine Air Control Squadron 24 air traffic controller, showed others of his unit how to operate a radio and communicate efficiently between aircrew and medics.
It’s a good training exercise, not only for the squadron’s junior members who need to learn this, but for Marines to be incorporated with other branches of service, he said.
This training enable those Marines to fulfill their function as liaisons between the field hospital and aircrew, informing the latter of how many and what kind of casualties were in need of evacuation.
According to Capt. Carolyn Joe, A 301 MDS medical readiness officer, there were two flights, which included 24 patients total being evacuated. Military personnel participating in the exercise fulfilled some patient roles. Others such as in-flight critical care training scenario roles were performed on the SimMan, a robotic manikin that simulates numerous types of medical emergencies.
Daniels fellow squadron member, Marine Sgt. James Garcia, also a MACS 24 air traffic controller, learned more about operational differences.
“It’s good to know how you will liaison between each branch and what kind of barriers there are, like terminology. We showed up today and found out that the Air Force uses a different database for their medical patients than we know. So, it’s good to learn about each branch a little bit more.”
Other participants such as, Navy Hospital Corpsman Rene Lumene, with Emergency Medical Facility Dallas 1, dealt specifically with treating patients who had various simulated injuries.
“My goal today is to learn a couple of things that I may have forgotten, but really to take care of the patients as quickly as possible.”
Some patients had acute type injuries where they have cuts and bruises. Some have life threatening injuries like a sucking chest wound, fractures, or compartment injuries to their legs where a tourniquet needs to be placed, he said. Then they are taken to the tent and medical providers further assess them and determine whether they need surgery or minor care.
Overall, participants completed 45 patient scenarios and 12 exercise injects, according to Joe.
In the end, joint collaboration and understanding was the thread tying the whole exercise together.
“We can see how the Navy, Marines, and Air Force works,” Turnbull said. “We are all going to be working as one if we ever deploy, so it’s great to be able to pull us all together.”
Participating units from NAS Fort Worth JRB, Texas included Navy Reserve Expeditionary Medical Facility Dallas One, 301st Medical Squadron, Marine Air Group 41, Marine Air Refueling and Transport Squadron-234 (VMGR-234), and Marine Air Control Squadron-Detachment 24, Virginia Beach, Virginia. The 433rd Medical Squadron from Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas observed the exercise.