BAUMHOLDER, Germany -- The 8th Medical Company (Logistics) conducted a no-notice "shock" exercise May 2-4 in Pirmasens to test Soldiers' readiness and prepare for Anakonda 16. The company partnered with U.S. Army Medical Material Center-Europe to conduct training on medical logistics and secure medical supplies for the upcoming Anakonda 16 exercise.
The Soldiers received an alert May 1 and assembled at the company motor pool in Baumholder the following morning after being alerted with their personal equipment packed. Following a mission brief, Soldiers inspected their vehicles and loaded equipment needed for the company to deploy one forward distribution team, one contact repair team, and an optical fabrication lab. Once all the equipment was inspected and packed, the company departed for Pirmasens, Germany to establish their site at USAMMC-E'S complex.
The "shock" served as an excellent training experience for Soldiers and leaders such as Chief Warrant Officer 2 Simon Ofosu, a medical maintenance officer with 8th MEDLOG.
"The shock served as a great opportunity to test our readiness and identify any shortfalls in our load plans and equipment which will improve the company for future exercises," said Ofosu.
USAMMC-E provided training on the entire spectrum of medical logistics, which allowed medical supply specialists and biomedical maintenance technicians to experience the entire scope of medical logistics. Soldiers were able to pick up medical supplies off the shelves at USAMMC-E, sort the material, package, and transport over 200 lines of medical supplies with a total value over $90,000.
All of the medical supplies secured and transported will be used in the upcoming Anakonda 16 exercise in Poland. USAMMC-E made special accommodations for the 8th MEDLOG to facilitate the retrieval and packaging of their own supplies.
The employees of USAMMC-E helped train Soldiers of the 8th MEDLOG before the execution of this "shock" exercise, providing the Soldiers an opportunity to put their training to practical use. The Soldiers were able to pick material from many of the storage sections including temperature controlled material and hazardous material - items important for area support medical companies, aid stations and combat support hospitals.
Spc. Tevin Beaty, a medical supply specialist, said he enjoyed the opportunity to put his training to practical use.
"This is a great experience, especially for medical supply specialists like myself to get hands on experience and really learn how a warehouse works," said Beaty.
The "shock" exercise, event organizers said, served as an excellent medical logistics training tool delivered by the subject matter experts at USAMMC-E. It enhanced the knowledge and readiness of the company. This event also provided an opportunity for the company to rehearse establishing their site and capabilities in a deployed setting for the upcoming Anakonda 16 exercise.
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