WEST ISLIP, N.Y. – Members of the 106th Medical Group of the 106th Rescue Wing partnered with Good Samaritan University Hospital for two weeks of training April 10-24.
“The purpose of the training is to have the medics maintain their competencies in the skills that they use for basic medical care and resuscitation,” said Col. Sanjay Shetty, the 106th Medical Group chief of aerospace medicine.
Participants rotated in skills such as splinting, drawing blood, IV placement, wound care and hemorrhage control. The tasks satisfied the medics’ Comprehensive Medical Readiness Program and Tactical Combat Casualty Care requirements.
According to the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians, Tactical Combat Casualty Care teaches lifesaving techniques and battlefield trauma care. All service members take the course in some capacity.
The Comprehensive Medical Readiness Program is a medical skills sustainment program to ensure medical personnel are current through checklist tasks. Training is separated into categories to support specific specialties, personnel and missions across the U.S. Air Force.
The high-stress, high-volume environment rotations the medics underwent in the emergency department of Good Samaritan allowed their military training to be put to the test, said Senior Master Sgt. Douglas Foy, aerospace medical service superintendent.
Christopher Raio, Good Samaritan Hospital’s chairman of emergency medicine, said the hospital looked forward to working with the New York Air National Guard medical personnel from the 106th Rescue Wing.
“We were very happy and excited to welcome the 106th Rescue Wing,” said Raio. “We’re a newly designated Level 1 trauma center and we think the education and training is going to be great for the individuals rotating with us.”
A Level 1 trauma center provides the highest level of trauma care to critically ill or injured patients, according to the New York State Department of Health,
Master Sgt. Sandra Martinez, 106th Rescue Wing aerospace medical technician, and Airman 1st Class David Mangiameli were the first 106th members to participate in the clinical training. The next group of medics begin their rotations later this summer.
“For us, it’s especially important because when you work in a clinic doing operational medicine, it’s geared more towards a trauma-type scenario,” said Mangiameli, 106th Medical Group aerospace medical technician. “When you are exposed to these traumas, it prepares you for deployment scenarios. So for us, trauma aptitudes are incredibly important.”
The 106th Rescue Wing, based at F.S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base in Westhampton Beach, New York, operates and maintains the HC-130J Combat King II search and rescue aircraft and the HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopter. The wing is home to a special warfare squadron with pararescuemen and combat rescue officers specializing in rescue and recovery.