MFE tests 18th MDG airmen's preparedness

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Zade C. Vadnais
  • 18th Wing Public Affairs
KADENA AIR BASE, Japan --  Panicked cries fill the air as the sun rises over Kadena's flightline, illuminating the grisly aftermath of a severe car accident.

Ten airmen are sprawled on the grassy knoll by the entrance to the munitions area. Some are wincing as they clutch their bloodied limbs, most are trying their best to lie motionless and all of them are stifling giggles.

The "injured" airmen are perfectly fine. Donning makeup and lots of stage blood, they are participating in a mass casualty exercise designed to test the preparedness of the 18th Medical Group's Field Response Team.

"We simulated a car accident and we had some people come out and helps us," said Airman 1st Class Jason Garciadealba, 67th Aircraft Maintenance Unit avionics specialist. "It was cool to see how quickly everybody responded and how everybody had a helping hand."

Although the simulation was intended to test the response of FRT personnel, airmen from the 18th Security Forces Squadron happened to be driving by the scene and were the first to respond, performing self-aid buddy care and recovering a missing arm from a nearby tree.

Two Airmen from the 18th Munitions Squadron also took notice of the events unfolding right outside their gate and responded with individual first aid kits by splinting limbs, bandaging wounds and treating the victims for shock.

Once the FRT Airmen arrived via ambulance, the injuries were assessed and the process to get the victims the necessary care could begin.

"When we arrive on the scene the first thing we do is make sure the scene is safe," said Capt. Shara Koch, 18th Aerospace Medicine Squadron flight and operational medicine clinic element chief. "Once the scene is deemed safe, we need to find out who is most critically injured and who are the minimally wounded patients that can help treat other patients."

Once the patients were triaged, meaning their need for care was rated from most to least urgent, FRT Airmen simulated transporting them from the scene of the accident to the U.S. Naval Hospital on Camp Foster in order to have their injuries treated by emergency room staff.

In addition to giving Airmen a chance to test their response time and SABC skills, exercises like this also provide an opportunity to strengthen communication skills and encourage teamwork.

"It's very chaotic; you don't know who's who," Koch said. "Communication and teamwork are really what we try to build on with our exercises because that's going to be vital to our success and make sure we utilize the greatest number of resources."

The FRT often steps in to provide ambulatory services due to the ambulance services team's limited resources, so exercises in which the FRT responds to an emergency situation are very beneficial according to Koch.

"Our ambulance service is only able to take two patients depending on the severity of their injuries," Koch explained. "As the FRT we need to be able to augment them and respond because something as simple as a car accident can create a mass casualty."

Exercises like this test the preparedness of individual units and give leadership an idea of how well-oiled the Kadena machine is. In addition to the experience Airmen gain and objective performance evaluation data collected by the inspection team, exercises also serve to reassure personnel that the people they would be depending on in an emergency situation are worthy of their trust and capable of getting their jobs done, even under pressure.

"It was cool to see how quickly everybody responded," Garciadealba said. "It's very reassuring to know that if something were to happen they'd be right there for you."