HONOLULU -- Maintaining a safe and clean working environment is not a tough task while working day to day inside a building or any other enclosed structure.
When Soldiers are sent to the field, or deploy, the task can at times become a tall order, but becomes a must to ensure an overall healthy, ready-to-fight force.
That is where field sanitation teams (FST) come into play and are not only required by Army doctrine but also a huge necessity to ensure Soldiers remain healthy and fit to accomplish their respective mission.
Five 18th Medical Command (Deployment Support), also known as 18th MEDCOM (DS), Soldiers trained for two weeks on field sanitation practices, from February 27 to March 10, in both a classroom setting and hands-on in a field environment, culminating with a written test.
Senior leaders with subject matter expertise taught, trained and demonstrated the importance of being proficient in this area when it comes to keeping themselves and fellow Soldiers healthy.
"Being in the unit, training the FST members in our unit, makes me feel more confident they're going to do what they're supposed to do, the right way," said lead instructor Master Sgt. Latresia D. Hawkins, the preventative medicine non-commissioned officer in charge for 18th MEDCOM (DS).
In any field environment it is a Soldier's duty to maintain proper hygiene, clean living spaces, working conditions and maintain accountability for their own responsibilities.
It is the job of the field sanitation team to ensure that those standards are met.
When deploying or moving forward to a field environment it is the duty of the field sanitation team to ensure that all safety requirements are met and unit command teams are kept fully informed on any potential health and safety hazards. Coupled with the weather and terrain, the field sanitation team's know-how and persistence is essential to maintaining an efficiently clean field environment.
"The thing I learned most was ensuring we were aware of any potential hazards or risks, where we train or do physical training and making sure we inform the commander," said Sgt. Chantaya Douglas, a chemical biological radiological nuclear (CBRN) non-commissioned officer with 18th MEDCOM (DS).
Their tasks include but are not limited to ensuring there is a clean drinkable source of water; proper placement and maintenance of any portable latrine or garbage disposal bins; inspection of food service equipment and feeding facilities; as well as training, guidance and inspections of personal hygiene practices, according to Army technical publication (ATP) 4-25.12.
While these are areas of great importance, the secondary consequences of having running water, food, human waste and trash removal have shown to directly impact the overall health of the force. With human activity, the inevitability of insects, rodents and larger animals entering field environments greatly increase the possibilities of sickness and injury.
"Cleaning up our trash and keeping the bugs away will help stop a lot of people from getting sick," said Pfc. Jesse D. Angulo, a human resource specialist with 18th MEDCOM (DS).
By placing such emphasis on the individuals obligation and the incorporation of field sanitation teams, the goal is to continuously keep a healthy force, keep Soldiers out of the care of physicians and be ready to carry on their mission at all times.
Having a team to be ever mindful of potential risks and hazards is a key proponent of the Army's preventative medicine doctrine.
Keeping our war fighters ready and healthy at all times has been of great emphasis to the United States Army and Army Medicine.
18th MEDCOM (DS) now has three trained field sanitation teams.
"The next field problem we have, they are going to be ready to execute," said Hawkins.
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