WARRENTON, Ore. - Combat medics with the Oregon National Guard are adapting their battlefield medicine skills for large-scale combat operations through innovative training, including drone-delivered medical supplies at Camp Rilea.
The 249th Regional Training Institute medical detachment conducted its annual 68W Combat Medic sustainment course Jan. 23-31, incorporating unmanned aerial systems for the first time during the culminating field training exercise.
“We’re transitioning from the way we did combat in the global war on terror,” said Sgt. 1st Class John Lee, noncommissioned officer in charge at the 249th RTI medical detachment. “We’re not going to always have medevac one hour away. We might have to travel to it or use ground transport to get to an ambulance exchange point before we can get the casualty to a higher level of care.”
The course included classroom instruction, medical trauma lanes, testing and a field training exercise. This year’s training featured a partnership with Legionair Tactical, using their specialized drones for medical supply delivery.
“It goes about 40 miles an hour at cruise speed. You can carry about 10 pounds, and it runs roughly about 35 minutes,” said Travis Petete, co-founder and managing director of Legionair Tactical. “So you’re going about 25 miles, which allows us to deliver medical supplies wherever they’re needed in the field.”
Combat medics must recertify every two years, making realistic training crucial for maintaining lifesaving skills. The course begins with fundamental medical principles before progressing to more complex scenarios.
“We start at the basic level and work our way back up, improving their skills,” Lee said. “There’s no telling how much hands-on medicine they might have done in those two years, so we need to knock the rust off.”
Course instructors create high-stress scenarios that mirror battlefield conditions, challenging medics to make critical decisions under pressure. The training emphasizes the importance of adaptability and resourcefulness in austere environments where traditional medical evacuation methods may be compromised.
”We train as we fight,” Lee explained. “The medics need to deal with the consequences of their decisions in real time. If they make mistakes, it might cause further harm to the casualty, and they need to fix it.”
The training incorporated a state-of-the-art casualty simulator providing real-time medical intervention feedback. The remote-controlled simulator features realistic breathing, pulse points and arterial bleeding, allowing instructors to create high-fidelity trauma scenarios.
”This technology lets us monitor the effectiveness of tourniquet application, wound care, and other critical battlefield medical procedures,” Lee said.
The evolving curriculum reflects the military’s shift toward preparing for near-peer conflicts where immediate medical evacuation might not be possible. The integration of drone technology represents an innovative approach to addressing these emerging challenges in battlefield medicine.
The program also focused on building team cohesion, as successful casualty care in tactical environments requires a coordinated effort.