FORT SILL, Okla.-- Thirty eight medical officers left clinical environments across the United States to learn basic soldiering skills at Fort Sill.
Soldiers and cadre in 30th Air Defense Artillery Brigade worked together to run the Army Medical Department Direct Commissioning Course pilot program.
The four-week course covered customs and courtesies, classes on Equal Opportunity and Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention, troop leading procedures, land navigation, basic rifle marksmanship, squad movements and more.
"They're wearing the green uniform. They have to know how to be professional Soldiers. They have to learn about the profession of arms," said Capt. Rich Elias, AMEDD DCC pilot program officer in charge.
The officers received their first taste of Army training after stepping out of various levels of civilian medical experience. Some are just beginning medical school while the majority were practicing doctors, nurses, dentists, and health care practitioners.
"I came from a military family. My family has been serving for generations. It's my duty and my honor," said Capt. Erin Stein, AMEDD DCC class leader.
"I'm a Soldier first, a veterinarian second."
Because the officers traditionally went from civilian training directly into the Basic Officer Leadership Course, the AMEDD community found the transformation into the military was lacking discipline. They decided a course to soldierize them first was necessary.
"They saw it was a problem throughout the entire force," said Elias. "Colonel Cardenas (Reynolds Army Community Hospital commander) said it best yesterday. He said he was glad they were training here because here they get to see what right looks like."
At the end of their third week of training July 3, the officers completed the Combat Obstacle Course and then worked together at Liberty City to find and rescue hostages.
"We had a hostage situation so that's the intel we gave them leading them to a second location which will be the gas chamber. They were clearing the city to make sure the hostages weren't here," said Elias.
He said in the short time they've learned Army procedures their transformation as Soldiers is evident.
"We've seen people step up and stand out. In the absence of orders there is one guy who has started to lead them and they are listening to him. It's impressive."
The officers moved on to the gas chamber, where so many before them learned to trust in their equipment and felt the sting of tear gas as a rite of passage into the military.
"I work with a lot of active-duty surgeons and a lot of people I treat are former military, or active-duty Soldiers so this will help me understand what they're going through," said Maj. Kevin Lin-Hurtubise, 1984th Hospital Hospital Detachment general surgeon and surgical oncologist.
As a 51-year-old and already practicing surgeon, he said he felt it was time to use his skills in the Army.
"I'm from an immigrant family so I felt like this time in my life helping out combat Soldiers downrange would be a good thing to do for my country."
The first AMEDD DCC class graduates July 10 at 10 a.m. in Kerwin Auditorium. There will be one more pilot class next summer before a full class of 240 students comes through in 2017.
To see more photos from the four-week course, search Facebook for "AMEDD DCC pilot."
Social Sharing