Reserve medical unit performs mass casualty exercise

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jessica Andrews
  • 459th Aeromedical Staging Squadron
ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE, Md. --  Practice does not always make perfect, but in the real world where Airmen must simultaneously treat multiple casualties, it can be a life-saving difference.

Instead of a sterile environment of folding tables, index cards, and sticky notes, the latest mass-casualty exercise conducted here Sept. 9 had it all: the sights, sounds, and smells of confusion.

Nearly every member of the 459th Aeromedical Staging Squadron had a role in the event. Some played the part of the victim, complete with a detailed injury background and visual cues. Others played the role of hero, donned in full mission-oriented protective posture gear in high heat and humidity. The blood was simulated, but the smell of sweat and charcoal from the chemical suits wafted throughout the exercise zone.

"We need to get people and their teams ready to go," Lt. Col. Patricia Ayala Tipmongkol, 459th ASTS chief nurse, said. In a real-time environment, it was essential to keep everyone on task and focused, as they would be in an actual event. "Make sure the canister on your gas mask is attached; an explosion has occurred."

Like other Air Force units, the 459th Air Refueling Wing is graded along several criteria, such as accountability, urgency, injury assessment, effective communication, securing critical information, and adherence to the "buddy system."

The final report card came from Lt. Col. Cynthia Persons, 459th ASTS nursing administrator, who has experience with similar scenarios both here and at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. "Everyone did fantastically," she said. "The exercise pulled our training items together in a realistic operational scenario."

The exercise itself was not a secret, but participants encountered many surprises as the scenarios unfolded. In all, the mock explosion resulted in nine casualties with varying degrees of need.

"Get oxygen! Get her I.V. started!" Lt. Col. Jimmie Drummond, 459th ASTS chief of professional services, shouted. "She has a sucking chest wound!" A real-world injury might not have a predictable outcome, and the scenario played out with enough randomness to avoid being a paint-by-numbers exercise. Not all patients miraculously responded to treatment.

Less visible effects are the emotional and psychological tolls. Not only were mental health professionals touring the impact zone looking for tell-tale signs of shock, they were also looking after the mental well-being of the rescuers. The rigors of the war zone can jolt an unexpected response from nearly anyone, and having professional counselors on-scene can keep a rescuer from becoming another liability.

While responding to the imagined threat, the team faced a very real one: the extreme temperatures. The very suits that protect Airmen from exposure to chemicals trap heat and moisture and create a different hazard.

"It's MOPP-2! Take your masks off -- drink some water!" Maj. Marie Sasse, 459th ASTS mental health nurse, said. A part of the exercise evaluation team, Major Sasse was one of the few people who had the authority to toggle between the real and simulated worlds. With Airmen beginning to collapse and fall out from the heat, Major Sasse decreased the simulation intensity a bit for safety. The challenge presented by the weather is no reason to cancel, however.

"Because we're at war, we need to do this at least twice a year," the major said.

Even though the exercise did not end exactly as planned, there were some strong takeaways and lessons learned.

"What was reinforced for me by the exercise was the importance of staying in shape and following the recommendations given in the safety briefings," Colonel Persons said. She noted the need to continue practice under adverse conditions. "The physical demands required by our career fields -- lifting and carrying patients, and the temperature highlighted the need to hydrate and be physically fit."