US Army Europe's Combat Support Hospital prepares for live surgical exercise

By Capt. Mary Andrea Ugaddan, 212th CSH Public AffairsMarch 4, 2015

K9 Check-up
1 / 8 Show Caption + Hide Caption – MIESAU, Germany -- Staff Sgt. Elam Ortiz (left) from the 212th Combat Support Hospital Medical Specialties platoon and Sgt. Tami Bush (right), a veterinary technician from the Pulaski Dog Center, perform an airway intubation of a canine simulator dur... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Setting the tent floors
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Land Navigation
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Staking down the ICW
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Inside the ICW
5 / 8 Show Caption + Hide Caption – MIESAU, Germany -- 212th Combat Support Hospital Soldiers set up beds and equipment in the Intermediate Care Ward Feb. 23 for Hospital Readiness Week. The Intermediate Care Ward is where patients are taken care of for conditions that are not as serio... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Learning about Decontamination Procedures
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SINCGARS
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Tent set up
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MIESAU, Germany - The 212th Combat Support Hospital conducted its Hospital Readiness Week here from Feb. 23-27, simultaneously training its Soldiers on Deployable Medical Systems in the field as well as a multitude of Army Warrior Tasks.

One week each month, the CSH, predominantly comprised of healthcare providers who work at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center to maintain clinical proficiency, trains all its Soldiers together during Hospital Readiness Week. This month, specialty platoons conducted concurrent training plans, geared at maintaining deployment readiness and preparing the hospital for its culminating exercise, Omega Saber. Omega Saber will be 212th CSH's live field surgical exercise in April in Miesau.

Over the course of the rigorous five-day training, Soldiers from the Intensive Care Units, the Intermediate Care Wards and Medical Specialties set up their extendable modular tents in the field complete with a layout of their respective equipment.

They conducted training on standard operating procedures and hands-on equipment familiarization, chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear exposure and decontamination of self and patients, and treatment of military working dogs in a field hospital. The last day consisted of tear down and recovery of tents and equipment.

Soldiers from the Emergency Medical Treatment, Operating Room, Pharmacy, Laboratory and Radiology sections performed key Army Warrior Tasks, to include M16 range qualification, day and night land navigation, 9-line medical evacuation, performing first aid, squad movement, and reacting to improvised explosive devices and to CBRN attacks. On the last day of training, junior enlisted Soldiers attended a leadership professional development class on Army Profession of Arms while the unit leaders attended a class on the CSH's historical hospital configurations.

The 212th CSH typically conducts two field exercises in a year. Omega Saber will be unique from previously conducted exercises because the CSH will be performing live surgeries using their own equipment, supplies and Soldiers in the field.

Additionally, the 212th CSH will be exercising medical interoperability with Germans, the British and Hungarians during the first half of the exercise, while an officer from NATO's International School Training Center observes the training.

"This is one of the many ways that the 212th CSH continues to support the 21st TSC's and the 30th Medical Brigade's lines of efforts: to support unified land operations, supporting theater security cooperation, manning, equipping, sustaining and shaping the force, and building strong leaders and Soldiers," said Lt. Col. Marcus Hurd, Deputy Chief of Administration and Executive Officer for the 212th CSH.

Related Links:

30th MED DBE Web Page

212th CSH Facebook

30th MED BDE Facebook

212th CSH Flickr Page