BUTLERVILLE, Ind. - A day before one of the National Guard's largest homeland defense training exercises got underway, Indiana National Guard medics were busy preparing here on May 9 to ensure civilian and military participants from across the nation had their own emergency medical care should they need it.
More than 20 Soldiers from the 215th Area Support Medical Company, 38th Main Support Battalion and state Medical Detachment 17 staged medical equipment and reviewed their aeromedical evacuation procedures with UH-1 helicopter units from the District of Columbia and Delaware Guard.
The training exercise, called Vigilant Guard, involves more than 2,000 Guard Soldiers and Airmen from Indiana and its surrounding states responding to a simulated nuclear detonation.
Medical teams are staged at the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center, here, and at Camp Attabury, which is about one hour's drive north.
The medial team's leader, Col. David Wilmot, joint forces headquarters state surgeon, said they were prepared to coordinate care between onsite military providers and civilian medical facilities.
Wilmot said the Guard medics can treat medical conditions up to major trauma that requires aeromedical evacuation. Treatment includes an initial evaluation to determine a patient's injury or illness and further determination for ground transport or aerovac to a proper medical facility.
Heat injuries, sprains and strains and cardiovascular problems are the more common situations are trained and prepared to handle. They have medical equipment common to civilian emergency rooms.
Although the Guard team is not a role player in the 11-day training exercise, the members said they are learning, too.
"Being in it real-world is great," said Sgt. John Stephens, a combat medic who has deployed for hurricanes Katrina and Rita as well as to Iraq and Kuwait. "We get to interact with everybody. It teaches us."
Stephens said that after Vigilant Guard's final report is published, everyone in it will be able to know every part in it and how it worked. That includes their Indiana medical team, which is caring for the care givers.