U.S. Air Force Emergency room doctors and technicians treat patients with simulated injuries and illnesses during a medical global response force training exercise at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., Oct. 20, 2016. Members of the medical group put the 25-bed field hospital to the test while treating real-world and simulated patients. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Natasha Stannard) (Photo by Staff Sgt. Natasha Stannard)
Members of the 633rd Medical Group start the simulated portion of their global response force training exercise at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., Oct. 20, 2016. The training included setting up the 25-bed field hospital, treating real-word active duty patients and treating simulated conditions frequently seen in a humanitarian crisis. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Natasha Stannard) (Photo by Staff Sgt. Natasha Stannard)
U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Amanda Leak, 633rd Dental Squadron dental technician, cleans Col. Norman Fox’s, Expeditionary Medical Support commander, teeth during a routine dental check-up at a 25-bed field hospital on Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., Oct. 19, 2016. Active duty patients with routine medical appointments went to the field hospital as part of a medical global response force training exercise. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Natasha Stannard) (Photo by Staff Sgt. Natasha Stannard)
U.S. Air Force Emergency room doctors and technicians treat patients with simulated injuries and illnesses during a medical global response force training exercise at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., Oct. 20, 2016. Members of the medical group put the 25-bed field hospital to the test while treating real-world and simulated patients. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Natasha Stannard) (Photo by Staff Sgt. Natasha Stannard)
U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Jenny Manueles, 633rd Surgical Operations Squadron surgical technician, receives treatment in the critical care unit during a medical global response force training exercise at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., Oct. 20, 2016. The training demonstrated basic medical care needs and critical care needs that could occur in a humanitarian aid environment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Natasha Stannard) (Photo by Staff Sgt. Natasha Stannard)
An emergency room technician checks a patients vitals during the 633rd Medical Group’s global response force training exercise at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., Oct. 20, 2016. In a real-world global response scenario the field hospital, the medical group trained in, can provide care for a population of 6,500. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Natasha Stannard) (Photo by Staff Sgt. Natasha Stannard)
U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Shane Posey, 633rd Medical Support Squadron biomedical equipment technician, checks an air conditioning system during a medical global response force training exercise at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., Oct. 19, 2016. Upon arriving to a global response force mission, technicians must have the field hospital up and running within 60 hours. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Natasha Stannard) (Photo by Staff Sgt. Natasha Stannard)
JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. —
The 633rd Medical Group’s Expeditionary Medical Support tested their rapid support capabilities with a medical global response force training mission Oct. 17 through21 at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia’s, Raptor Town, which is a small deployment compound nestled behind the flightline.
When a country is in need of medical relief and humanitarian aid, the EMEDs team here may get the call to deploy their 25-bed field hospital within 72 hours of notification depending on their turn in a yearly on-call rotation.
"You take leave with the understanding that if you get recalled, you have to come back. When we went to Liberia, I was at my Mom and Dad's 50th wedding anniversary," said Senior Master Sgt. Curtis Miller, 633rd Medical Support Squadron superintendent. "I just got there…when I got the call. They said ‘you have six hours to be back at base.’”
The training opportunity focused on mirroring what medics like Miller have encountered in humanitarian support environments where their initial response mission is to provide basic medical, while others are providing aid.
“Here at Langley we have it all; the personnel, equipment, tents, everything needed to stand up and operate a 25-bed hospital,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Norman Fox, EMEDS commander. “We can go anywhere in the world in support of major combat, contingency, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, defense support of civil authorities or stability operations.”
Usually these types of exercises involve fake wounds and simulated ailments. This training included that, in addition, to real patients with basic medical needs that are often found in impoverished countries in need of humanitarian relief, said Keith Morgan, medical contingency planning official.
"A lot of times, this is the first sort of definitive care these people are seeing,” said Col. Susan Pietrykowski, 633rd Medical Group commander. “What we see as basic needs is a higher level of care for them."
For Maj. Aleacha Philson, 633rd Medical Operations Squadron pediatrics flight commander, the real-world training was vital in catching hiccups that could hinder such care during an actual humanitarian mission.
“Providing them with real patients helps them see what challenges they may be faced with,” said Philson. “It provides better feedback in the after-action report. We would rather get that now than when we have an actual real word global response mission.”
But, before the medics saw their first patients they set up their own tents, generators and systems in a building block style that allowed them to either add or take away hospital sections based on the crisis’ needs. At its full capacity the field hospital, which has to be operational within 60 hours of boots-on-the-ground, can provide care for a population at risk up to 6,500.
“When I was in Liberia we built our own perimeter fence, we produced our own power, set up our own communication system and tents; we did everything, “said Miller, who deployed to build the field hospital in support of Operation United Assistance.
For the training, once all was set up, it was time to provide real patient care for active duty members during which Miller’s primary training goal was put to the test.
“This is about going back to the basics in which we not only provide services to other people, but we’re actually looking out for each other,” said Miller. “Getting to know the people on your team and getting them to be able to function appropriately and effectively together is key. When I do take them down range and when we end up in that Haiti situation or Liberia situation, I know that I have a trusted team.”