Keywords: weed army community hospital weedarmycommunityhospital wach national training center nationaltrainingcenter ntc fort irwin fortirwin california col. jason wieman coljasonwieman command sgt maj. albert harris commandsgtmajalbertharris 2916th aviation battalion 2916thaviationbattalion emergency medical care emergencymedicalcare meddac rhc-c rhcc patient care patientcare soldier readiness soldierreadiness army training armytraining medical evacuation medicalevacuation medevac capt. sean donohue captseandonohue outdoor FORT IRWIN, Calif. -- The 2916th Aviation Battalion utilized an off-cycle window in their calendar March 20 - 23 to conduct brigade-level training in the National Training Center's "Box". The exercise culminated at the Fort Irwin Weed Army Community Hospital (WACH) March 23. The goal of the training is to test readiness as well as hone emergency medical skills among the participating service members. One simulation presented the participants with an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attack on a troop transport that resulted in 16 casualties. The role players required triage at the point of injury in the training area, then airlifted back to the WACH on Fort Irwin for treatment. This was a large-scale training module that involved complex planning. To make the exercise as authentic as possible training units had no warning of what they would encounter throughout the course of the event and participants were alerted only as the scenario unfolded, just as if the casualties and events were real. Large casualty events of this kind take a special type of planning coordination, material and geography to execute, and even more consideration to undertake, which makes the NTC an ideal venue for such training. The 2916th assumed the role of air medevac, requiring multiple airlifts to bring all casualties back to the WACH, where staff members prioritized, stabilized and treated the mock casualties, then prepared to fly any they determined needing specialized care beyond WACH capabilities to other nearby available medical facilities for more extensive treatment. To learn more about the people and facilities of the National Training Center and the Weed Army Community Hospital visit their official websites at www.irwin.army.mil or www.irwin.amedd.army.mil Photo by Captain Sean Donoghue for WACH Public Affairs (Released), FORT IRWIN, Calif. -- The 2916th Aviation Battalion utilized an off-cycle window in their calendar March 20 - 23 to conduct brigade-level training in the National Training Center's "Box". The exercise culminated at the Fort Irwin Weed Army Community Hospital (WACH) March 23. The goal of the training is to test readiness as well as hone emergency medical skills among the participating service members. One simulation presented the participants with an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attack on a troop transport that resulted in 16 casualties. The role players required triage at the point of injury in the training area, then airlifted back to the WACH on Fort Irwin for treatment. This was a large-scale training module that involved complex planning. To make the exercise as authentic as possible training units had no warning of what they would encounter throughout the course of the event and participants were alerted only as the scenario unfolded, just as if the casualties and events were real. Large casualty events of this kind take a special type of planning coordination, material and geography to execute, and even more consideration to undertake, which makes the NTC an ideal venue for such training. The 2916th assumed the role of air medevac, requiring multiple airlifts to bring all casualties back to the WACH, where staff members prioritized, stabilized and treated the mock casualties, then prepared to fly any they determined needing specialized care beyond WACH capabilities to other nearby available medical facilities for more extensive treatment. To learn more about the people and facilities of the National Training Center and the Weed Army Community Hospital visit their official websites at www.irwin.army.mil or www.irwin.amedd.army.mil Photo by Captain Sean Donoghue for WACH Public Affairs (Released), |