CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait - "Exercise, Exercise, Exercise!" These are the words heard from Camp Arifjan's public address system during a mass casualty (MASCAL) exercise on March 21, 2019.
The training was used to evaluate the response time and effectiveness of the standard operating procedures set in place for real-life medical emergencies at Arifjan's U.S. Military Hospital - Kuwait. The hospital is staffed by the 452d Combat Support Hospital (CSH) during their Operation Spartan Shield rotation.
Once the call came in, hospital staff went into action, prepping equipment and personnel to receive multiple mock patients who sustained various injuries such as gunshot wounds and head traumas.
Simultaneously, predesignated Soldiers who are also combat lifesaver qualified began making their way to the medical facility to assist with the receiving and transportation of patients.
"You never know when a mass casualty event is going to happen," said Sgt. Alexander Caranicas, 452d CSH emergency medical treatment center noncommissioned officer.
A MASCAL is determined when the amount of patients coming in exceed the amount of resources available, he explained.
"If you have two people working during the day, a MASCAL can happen with four or five patients."
The Army's motto when it comes to training is "Train as you fight!" This means the conditions we train in should closely mirror those we expect to see in real life situations.
"I think the exercise went great," said Maj. Johnathan Sexton, 452d CSH. "The training was meant to find ways to improve, essentially, to fail now rather than fail later."
This was the second exercise of its type conducted in the past four months, and will not be the last.
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