Exercise tests self aid buddy care skills Published July 17, 2007 By Senior Airman Chris Bolen 434th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs Office GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind., -- The 434th Aerospace Medicine Squadron provided a dose of reality during the July unit training assembly when they kicked off a pilot program for Grissom intended to boost awareness and skills in the self aid buddy care program. The four-hour exercise was designed to test and evaluate the level of capability of personnel to respond to a range of medical emergencies. "The SABC program has dramatically increased in importance due to today's changing warfare strategy," said Lt. Col. Brian Preston, 434th AMDS senior administrator. "The strategy has changed so that now any medical support has moved off the flight line and Airmen are now responsible for initial treatment and movement of wounded to the medical facility," he continued. "The medical facility could be miles away and there is no 911 in a war zone or deployed theatre of operations." "This exercise is intended to get the message out about the importance of individual preparedness," he stated. Utilizing a technique used by some other Guard and Reserve units this exercise might best be described as rolling accident simulation. Teams consisting of doctors, nurses and simulated wounded traveled to the various duty shops providing sudden, no-notice opportunities for personnel to practice their first aid training. "The controlled chaos environment is intended to balance realism and training," Colonel Preston noted. "The basics of the program are to view a video on Self Aid Buddy Care and then show the skills," he continued. Five to six teams made up of a doctor, a nurse, and several simulated "wounded", paid visits around the base simulating vehicle accidents, explosions, and other emergencies. The wounded were portrayed by local Boy Scouts, moulaged before the start of the exercise to realistically simulate the types of injuries personnel might come across. "The intent of the exercise was not to catch people off guard," explained Major Connie Gault, 434th AMDS medical readiness officer. "It was not to scare or intimidate anybody; unit commanders and first sergeants were notified in advance of the exercise." "By using the Boy Scouts to simulate injured we were able to train at a realistic level and scale, with overwhelming numbers to add to the load," Colonel Preston explained. "And this is also a training opportunity for the Scouts," he continued. "Actual doctors and nurses also acted as patients and coached the Airmen as they treated wounds, and the Scouts observed." Participants were evaluated on their sense of urgency, situation management, and technical wound management. Readiness is a theme emphasized by the 434th ARW, said Major Katherine Whitaker, SABC advisor. "Personnel must be prepared for the real world." "This training doesn't stop at the front gate," Colonel Preston echoed, "these are serious life saving skills that people can take with them through life. As a citizen soldier we can go back into the public with these life saving skills, prepared for the unexpected."
