240th FST trains for Trauma

FORT STEWART, GA -- The 240th Forward Surgical Team, based at Fort Stewart, traveled to Miami with the knowledge base of Iraq trauma patient care to participate in a training event, June 8-22.

They initiated and sustained wartime skills of critical, resuscitative surgical care for trauma patients at the Ryder Trauma Unit at Jackson Memorial Hospital.

The effort, held by the Army Trauma Training Center, Amedd Center and Schools, and the University of Miami was to combine efforts was to effectively train and prepare forward surgical teams upon redeployment and for future deployments.

The 21-Soldier team of general and orthopedic surgeons, anesthetists, nurses, medics and operating room technicians, made-up the core of the team. Additionally, there was one surgeon from Fort Belvoir, Va., a CRNA from Fort Gordon, Ga., an ER nurse from Fort Sam Houston, Texas, an Army National Guard physicianAca,!a,,cs assistant, and one active Reserve Air Force medic to promote interservice cohesion.

The training consisted of a 15-day rotation, June 8 to June 22 to the Army Trauma Training Center with three phases that included classroom refresher training, clinical team rotations, and a capstone exercise to end the training.

The first phase was the classroom portion of the training afforded the Soldiers the opportunity to attain continuing education credits while refreshing their knowledge on the material covered. Within this phase, a mass casualty exercise in a real world scenario gave the team the chance to perform real-life trauma resuscitation in a situational training environment.

The focus was a teamwork concept with evaluation on how the team responded to levels of stress when overwhelmed with trauma. The diversity of the teamAca,!a,,cs qualities showed throughout the rotation, and the training provided affected the members in a positive and profound manner.

Aca,!A"Being that I never had any Army medical training, this has been a unique experience,Aca,!A? said Tech Sgt. Renato Oliva, 240th FST. Aca,!A"I like it so far. Just being in the Reserves, it is harder to get this type of training than if I was on active duty. So I like the fact the Army gives its medical personnel this type of training to prepare them for deployment, build the team concept and cohesion, and to continue to hone their skills; all this to make it easier when you deploy.Aca,!A?

While the 240th currently has a strong nucleus of combat veterans, the addition of new members both on the team and from various areas added a diverse field of medical Soldiers to develop a team within this team-building concept and training environment.

Another tool to develop the teamAca,!a,,cs cohesion and integrity was the second phase of the training. Clinical rotations with teams on a twelve-hour day and night shift provided the chance to handle trauma resuscitation within their respected areas.

The diverse range of trauma witnessed and treated varied from falls, stab wounds, and gunshots, to motor vehicle accidents, motorcycle accidents, and pedestrians hit by car accidents. The variety provided the team the opportunity to hone and further develop skills such as suturing, Foley catheters, IV catheters, and operating room procedures.

Aca,!A"IAca,!a,,cve seen stuff and learned things that I never knew before,Aca,!A? said Pfc. Laurie Faubus. Aca,!A"I had never dealt with an amputation, placed a Foley IV, or done a femoral stick to draw blood for laboratory testing. I feel more confident in myself to be able to handle trauma situations now that I have trained here (at ATTC). It was great working with the team to see how it functions and how we deal with trauma. If I could get the opportunity, I would love to come back to get more experience.Aca,!A?

The final phase was a summation of all aspects of training for the team with a capstone exercise providing the team total control of the Trauma Resuscitation Unit for 24 hours.

Aca,!A"In Iraq, we had a great team that was conducive and cohesively trained to handle trauma patients effectively and efficiently,Aca,!A? said Major Brett Sachse, general surgeon. Aca,!A"Since we have redeployed, we have added new members to the team, so we are working to build that cohesive unit once again, so coming to Miami to train here has been a great opportunity to hone the skills of our veteran Soldiers, as well as develop those of the new team members. The veterans drew upon their experiences to promote growth in our team so we were able to successfully train and treat the real-world trauma patients in the TRU. The program offers a multitude of benefits that the Army, the Amedd Center & Schools, the University of Miami, and the 240th FST can draw upon to develop current and future medical assets for our current theater of operations and the military services.Aca,!A?