RODRIGUEZ LIVE FIRE COMPLEX, South Korea - Training in preparation for a deployment, especially the essential live-fire ranges, can be hazardous, but the 1-27th Infantry Battalion mitigates some of that danger with its Medical Emergency Vehicles.
The MEV is the Stryker answer to an all-terrain field ambulance, and the1-27th from 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, makes sure that a MEV is onsite for all potentially dangerous training events on Rodriguez Range while the battalion gets ready their deployment to Afghanistan.
"We cover all dry-fire and live-fire training," said Pfc. Andrew Moncado, 1-27th medic. "We pull off on the side an pre-stage everything. We cover bleeding, airways, IVs, heat casualties; just about any emergency."
Moncado explained the MEVs can be configured to carry from two to five litters or eight to nine ambulatory patients depending on their needs.
"We make a decision on whether to evacuate a patient or if we can take care of them on the spot," said Spc. Eric Pasman, also a 1-27th medic.
Pasman said they have treated a few heat casualties, but haven't had any serious incidents.
He explained that there are three levels of heat casualties ranging from heat exhaustion, heat cramps to finally heat stroke.
"We try to get some water into them and get them cooled down and generally they recover," said Pasman. "Otherwise, we get them out of there."
For level two care, they would evacuate them to the aid station, or if they needed more serious care, level three, they would be taken directly to the landing zone to be evacuated by helicopter, said Pasman.
"We constantly practice to be ready for all contingencies," said Pasman.
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