Soldiers brave the heat to treat others

By Capt. Cody Starken, 29th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment —

FORT IRWIN, Ca. (Oct. 13, 2015) – One of the challenges Maryland National Guard soldiers face is pausing their civilian lives to attend their two-week annual training. This training can span many different places, such as locations across the United States or it can take place overseas. Sometimes, you get a little of both.

Members of the 104th and 224th Area Support Medical Companies are spending their annual training together at Ft. Irwin’s National Training Center from Oct. 4 to Oct. 24. While there, they are operating as if in a deployed combat environment where the sun drenched sands and windy plains create a land that resembles the Middle East. A land that can be unforgiving if proper care isn’t provided or taken.

The medical companies primary mission is to support the 1297th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, providing real-world medical care for soldiers and to participate in the notional battle.

This training is unique for these units. The 104th and 224th ASMCs combined their personnel for this mission to maximize their care to the soldiers, and to maximize the training benefit offered by the NTC. Together, they are working alongside with logistic companies from the 1st Calvary Division, a Michigan Reserve unit, and a Kentucky National Guard unit.

“Usually we are in a training environment or a real world environment, and the two don’t generally mix,” said Sgt. Aaron Genter, a health care specialist from the 224th ASMC. “In the beginning, it was like oil and water, but we are now getting the hang of it.”

These units have to make the best of a challenging situation inside the training location, known as “the box”. With temperatures well into the 90s, medics provide medical care in the notional training environment and are ready for any real-world incidents, if required.

The medical units will receive both simulated casualties and real-world patients to care for, during their time at the NTC, which will require the use of all the medical supplies.

“A challenge the medical staff faces is one of a real and authentic need of medical services versus one that is notional on the battlefield,” said Maj. William Fox, field surgeon for the 1297th CSSB. “Yesterday for example, we had a “mass casualty” consisting of five patients with “sucking chest wounds”, “shrapnel”, “amputees”, and “head injuries”; while simultaneously having people in gurneys being treating for dehydration, stress and various injuries.”

The real injuries that occur are given priority; the biggest one being heat casualties, and service members can immediately get treated at the medical facility.

Fox elaborated that a major concern the medical personnel have is dehydration. Active duty, National Guard, and reserve soldiers simulating an actual deployment, it’s realistic, hard, and stressful in the intense heat.

“The fact we are training with notional mass casualties in a training atmosphere and at the exact same time we have real world patients walking in the door. We are burning our candle on both sides,” said Sgt. Aaron Genter, a health care specialist from the 224th ASMC.

The soldiers also engage in other activities if there is a need in other locations on the forward operating base. They still have a primary responsibility to provide medical care, but they may be tasked to do other duties within the battalion. In a deployed environment, the first thing you have to establish is base security. Some soldiers will be assigned to gate security to protect individuals inside the logistical supply area.

The medical companies also help in another way. When deployed, they travel with a Mobile Kitchen Trailer that allows cooks to provide meals to service members.

The MKT arrived with the first convoy to the logistical support area to provide hot meals and a big morale booster.

“We have a 21-day menu that the cooks work from and select meals from that list,” said Spc. Renee Siereveld, a food service specialist from the Army Reserve’s 401st Transportation Company based in Battlecreek, Mich. “They come in the morning all groggy, barely awake. Then soldiers see hot meals and you can see the smiles on their faces.”

Soldiers are provided high-caloric ready-to-eat meals that are packaged for the soldier to consume at any given moment while performing their mission. Despite that, the solders welcomed hot meals.

“It’s probably one of the closest environments to the real thing where they cover every single aspect of warfare with the MILES use on personnel and the vehicles, so it is the closest to real life without losing equipment or supply,” said Genter.