Exercises test revamped mass casualty plan at Bondsteel hospital

By Sgt. 1st Class David Dodds, 116th Public Affairs DetachmentApril 23, 2010

Exercises test revamped mass casualty plan at Bondsteel hospital
1 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Spc. Nathan Young, Van Nuys, Calif., prepares a moulage face mask on Spc. Thomas Kane, Fargo, N.D., who played the part of a Soldier with a severe facial injury, on April 16, when members of KFOR’s Multinational Battle Group East’s Task Force Med Fal... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Exercises test revamped mass casualty plan at Bondsteel hospital
2 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Master Sgt. Joe Allen Jones, a combat medic from Birmingham, Ala., relays the situation to Staff Sgt. Steven Clark, a flight medic with the 169th Aviation Battalion of the Kentucky National Guard, at a simulated mass casualty incident site April 16 o... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Exercises test revamped mass casualty plan at Bondsteel hospital
3 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Spc. Michael Werner, a ground ambulance medic from Milnor, N.D., assesses a simulated leg injury on Sgt. Gina Deibel, Fargo, N.D., on April 16, when members of KFOR’s Multinational Battle Group East’s Task Force Med Falcon were faced with a challengi... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Exercises test revamped mass casualty plan at Bondsteel hospital
4 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Spc. Michael Werner, a ground ambulance medic from Milnor, N.D., and fellow medic Sgt. Jack Brooks, Whitley City, Ky., provide first-aid to Spc. Dustin Engebretson, Fargo, N.D., who played the role of a Soldier with a severe facial injury, on April 1... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Exercises test revamped mass casualty plan at Bondsteel hospital
5 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Sgt. Ross Teigen, a ground ambulance medic from Oslo, Minn., a combat medic, provides first-aid to Spc. Richard Flores, San Fernando, Calif., who played the role of a Soldier with a severe burn on his forearm, on April 16, when members of KFOR’s Mult... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

CAMP BONDSTEEL, Kosovo -- It was a busy day at the Camp Bondsteel Hospital April 16.

On top of all the real world business that doctors, nurses and hospital staff members tend to on a daily basis, on this day they faced a daunting medical exercise designed to keep everyone hopping.

The Camp Bondsteel Hospital recently updated its Standing Operating Procedure (SOP) for mass casualty (MASCAL) scenarios and that new plan needed to be tested, according to Master Sgt. Joe Allan Jones, a combat medic from Birmingham, Ala.

"The best way to make sure that something works is to rehearse and to do drills," Jones said. "This is something we do all the time - to Army standards."

On April 16, Task Force Medical Falcon's Medical Operations section, including Jones and Staff Sgt. Tameka Watts, Louisville, Ky., conducted a MASCAL exercise designed to stress the Camp Bondsteel Hospital's resources.

Nine U.S. Soldiers lay strewn about an open field with various simulated injuries after they were involved in a staged serious incident. The realistic make-up worn by the "injured," along with spurting fake blood, added to drama. They were inflicted with abdominal wounds, third-degree burns, serious head trauma and everything in between.

Within minutes of the nine-line medevac call to the MNBG E battle desk, a UH-60 Blackhawk medevac helicopter from the 169th Aviation Battalion of the Kentucky National Guard was fired up and in the air.

At the same time, members of the MNBG E's Task Force MED Falcon Ground Ambulance Team progressed to the scene.

The ground and air medical evacuation teams converged on the "injured" Soldiers, triaging their wounds and prioritizing who would be evacuated first by air and then who would be transported by ground ambulance. On-site treatment was provided to some, while others were stabilized and loaded into the helicopter to be flown to more advanced care at Camp Bondsteel Hospital.

The UH-60 Blackhawk made two quick sorties to the incident site, ultimately transporting four wounded Soldiers to the Camp Bondsteel Hospital. Five other Soldiers were taken to the hospital by ground ambulance.

The action didn't stop once all the wounded were evacuated, Jones said. The exercise continued after the patients were delivered to the hospital.

"This is extremely realistic training for our medics and all of our hospital staff," Jones said. "Everyone at the hospital is working like mad, right now."

Earlier in the day, the hospital ground medics and the helicopter crew practiced hot and cold-load scenarios for taking wounded Soldiers on and off of a UH-60 Blackhawk. Cold-loading takes place when the chopper is not operating and hot-loading happens when the blades are turning.

Jones said the entire day of exercises was necessary to identify any disconnects in the new MASCAL plan to ensure successful execution when responding to real-world incidents.

"We had to put our new SOP to the test and I think we achieved that," Jones said. "Everyone, including, our medics on the ground, the crew in the air and our doctors and nurses in the hospital, worked together diligently and professionally so we can continue to improve on our mission of saving lives."

---

Multinational Battle Group East is a U.S.- led unit, commanded by Brig. Gen. Al Dohrmann. This Battle Group is comprised of nearly 1,200 Soldiers, including representatives from Greece, Poland, Turkey and Ukraine. The charter mission of

MNBG E is maintaining a Safe and Secure Environment and providing Freedom of Movement for the people in Kosovo.

Please contact the MNBG E Public Affairs office for media engagements or to follow-up on this information.

--30--