HONOLULU - Nearly 50 Texas Air National Guardsmen assigned to the 136th Medical Group traveled in the wing’s C130J Super Hercules to Tripler Army Medical Center, Army Post Schofield Barracks, and Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam to complete annual medical training May 13-27.
The medical group was selected to train in Hawaii based on the unit’s readiness rating compared to other units nationwide.
“Tripler was our No. 1 choice and we got it because of our outstanding work maintaining unit readiness over the last three years, “said Col. Daniel Rodriguez, 136th Medical Group commander. “The advantages of this training are numerous, but being able to exercise as a unit helps to build confidence and camaraderie amongst the medical group.”
Over two weeks, the medical group Airmen experienced various training exercises in the TAMC, which serves active-duty members, their dependents and retirees. Texas Air Guard members worked in patient administration, emergency medicine, and public health.
This event provided clinical skills refresher training for the 136th Medical Group’s members at a level II trauma center. The training is essential to the Comprehensive Medical Readiness Program Category I and Category II requirements that prepare Airmen to work in trauma or critical care settings. It is part of a four-year training plan to prepare their en route patient staging system for a 2024 deployment vulnerability period.
Medical providers, nurses, medics, administrative support, and all other services of the 136th Medical Group honed their skills and learned from their Army counterparts at TAMC.
“Always be ready to take on any task you are given because getting that opportunity is paramount to learning and growing,” said Senior Airman Magut Abednego, 136th Airlift Wing aerospace medical tech. “In this setting, I was able to learn as a medical tech.”
Magut shares the benefits of training with other branches during the MFAT.
“Getting to do this training with the other branches, not just the Air Force, always helps,” Magut said. “Once we deploy we will work as one and we will be able to go anywhere.”
The U.S. Army Installation at Schofield Barracks offered a specialized medical simulation day May 18. Participants, from medics to providers, had half a day of classroom review followed by an interactive simulation with six medical-grade mannequins.
“Our nurses typically work in clinical environments, but our medical techs are normally students or just getting started in the medical field,” said Maj. Kris Dudas, 136th Medical Group clinical nurse. “This training is invaluable to them when it comes to preparing our Airmen for deployments when you may not have all the resources you need compared to working in a civilian environment.”