CAMP MU JUK, South Korea -- “You’ve just been electrocuted. You’re dying,” said Chief Petty Officer Albert S. Wood, Exercise Ulchi Focus Lens 2007 senior medical representative, as he began the first simulated casualty drill of the exercise. The simulated victim then fell to the asphalt as others signaled for help. The on-duty corpsman who arrived on scene in less than five minutes treated the situation as if it were a real-world catastrophe and swept the simulated victim to safety.
Wood, a Stockton, Calif., native and mastermind behind the simulated medical emergency, stressed the importance of response time and protocol in the event of a real-life emergency.
“It was all very quick,” said Lance Cpl. Dana L. Wessinger, a Houston native from Marine Wing Support Group 17 and simulated casualty victim. “They put a bandage around my waist, carried me to an ambulance that took me to the trauma center, put on a neck brace, and even set up a simulated IV (intravenous therapy) in my hand.”
It took 41 minutes to return Wessinger to a stable condition. This test is the first of many during the exercise according to Wood.
“When something like this happens, everybody has to know that they have a certain job,” said Wood. “As a force in readiness, everyone must be prepared to respond. This training has to be intense because we can not afford to be caught off guard.”
After their aptitude was tested Aug. 20, corpsmen from the trauma center here put their life-saving skills to work Aug. 21, when a combat engineer from Marine Wing Support Squadron 171 injured himself while training.
Injured was Lance Cpl. Jacob E. House, a Midland, Mich., native, after he raised a 10-pound stake driver above his body and inadvertently struck the top of his head, opening a large gash.
“When we first heard what had happened, everyone here assumed it was another drill,” said Petty Officer 3rd Class Alfred R. Vargas, hospital corpsman and native of Richmond, Texas. “Our response team was completely ready for this to happen. We rushed him over here and began working in less than five minutes.”
After receiving 15 staples on his head, House was prescribed to be sick in quarters for the remainder of the day. He returned to full duty Aug. 22.
A real emergency presented itself and the corpsmen’s response time was drastically quicker than the day before, according to Vargas.
“We’re set up to respond around the clock,” said Vargas. “It’s pretty ironic that yesterday we were tested on how quick all of this would happen. We handled the situation very well I thought.”
Exercise UFL 2007 is a largely computer-generated exercise that trains U.S. Marines to combine tactics and procedures with Republic of Korea Marines who also take part in training during their time at Camp Mu Juk.
The importance of this training was highlighted when Wood was injured and subsequently received fast and efficient medical help courtesy of a few well trained corpsmen, according to Wood.
“A few minutes wasted in an emergency could mean someone’s life and interference with our mission. We can’t have that,” said Wood.