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Grand Forks AFB medical group lassos quality training

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Joseph Kapinos
  • 319th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  The 319th Medical Group demonstrated their medical expertise, skills and training during a multi-event contingency operations competition in both daylight and lowlight here May 18. 

The competition, dubbed the "Med Group Rodeo," gave medical personnel from many backgrounds the opportunity to put their skills to the test and walk away with valuable knowledge and training. 

"This event was part of our preparation for our upcoming Health Services Inspection in September," said Tech. Sgt. Patricia Johnson, a 319th Medical Operations Squadron aeromedical technician. "We have a number of core tasks that we are responsible to know and demonstrate, and this event gave us the chance to get training in those tasks and make it fun in the process." 

The events covered all of the areas that a medical team could face during contingency operations, including: self-aid and buddy care, Mission Oriented Protective Posture (MOPP), unexploded ordinance identification, mass casualty, litter carry, cardio-pulmonary resuscitation along with night-time operations. Twelve teams participated in each event and were graded in their ability to accomplish the mission. The teams were chosen at random, but efforts were made to make sure each team was balanced in terms of experience and background, said Sergeant Johnson. 

"These events are all operations that we could find ourselves conducting in a hostile, combat zone," said 2nd Lt. Richard Campbell, medical readiness officer. "But this training can help us prepare for any contingency event, from a tornado to a large bus crash." 

One of the more challenging events the teams participated in was the night-time course. This difficult event, done the night before the rodeo, gave the medical personnel the chance to see how difficult their jobs can become once the sun sets, said Lieutenant Campbell. 

"We all know our jobs are tough, but it's really hard to do many of the tasks we do once the light goes away," said Lieutenant Campbell. 

"We really have to know how to put up shelters and clinics in the dark, know how to combat night blindness and get the job done helping patients, because that may be the time when we are needed the most," he said. 

While increasing skills and gaining knowledge in preparation for the inspection was a key element to the competition, learning what is required of everyone during an emergency was equally important. 

"It's really important for people to walk away from this competition with a deeper understanding of what happens during a contingency," said Sergeant Johnson. "We all need to realize and accept the fact that even though someone works in the administration section of the hospital, they may end up carrying litters or giving CPR to someone in need." 

But it wasn't all work and no play for the intrepid medical "Warriors of the North." A fun-filled picnic ending the competition left the teams filled with a sense of accomplishment and camaraderie. 

"I really think the training was invaluable and there was a lot of positive feed-back from all of the team members," said Sergeant Johnson. "It gave people an opportunity to see training they may never get a chance to see, and walk away with an increase in their knowledge and ability."