Medical Airmen Enhance Total Force with Joint Training

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Jennifer Zima
  • 501st Combat Support Wing

Medical professionals from the 184th Medical Group Kansas Air National Guard and 48th Medical Operations Squadron enhanced their total force capabilities by training with the Airmen assigned to the 423rd Medical Squadron at RAF Alconbury and 422nd Medical Squadron at RAF Croughton, over the past two weeks. During this integration and professional development, the medical teams assisted in patient care and shared their own personal field experiences with one another.

“It’s a chance to come in and work alongside our active duty counterparts, and learn that side of things,” said Master Sgt. Brett Piene, 184th MDG nursing services superintendent, McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas.

Maj. Lisa Donavan, 48th MDOS nurse manager of family health clinic, highlighted this,

“They’re all providers in the civilian world, so they’re able to bring in their expertise and experience, and apply it to our military population. It was tremendously helpful.”

This type of training allows members of the Air National Guard unit to experience a variety of medical scenarios and patient care, said Master Sgt. Jessica Scherette, 423rd MDS medical squadron superintendent.

While at RAF Alconbury, the 184th MDG focused on learning patient care techniques from the 423rd MDS. They also took the opportunity to inform the base medical group on how different procedures are done in CONUS locations in the guard world.

“We had a dentists who was performing dental care, and a dental technician who was assisting,” said Scherette. “Their goal is to come out and give hands-on care.”

By the end of their time together these medical professionals received a skill refreshers, hands-on patient care, and certification, but also enhanced their interoperability capabilities as a medical force.