Liberty Medics advance ACE capabilities in MAX 20-20

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Rhonda Smith
  • 48th Fighter Wing
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England --  ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England – The 48th Medical Group tested its Agile Combat Employment capabilities during Mission Assurance Exercise 20-20 at Royal Air Force Feltwell, England, Sept. 29, 2020.

Liberty Medics operated an offsite medical facility at RAF Feltwell, which demonstrated the 48th Fighter Wing’s ability to support ACE mission sets by maneuvering assets to various strategic locations.

“We established an expeditionary medical system that consists of an emergency room, operating room, primary care clinic, pharmacy, and preventative medicine unit,” said Maj. Shawn Banion, 48th Medical Support Squadron alternate wing exercise team chief. “This system represents a basic clinic in a deployed environment.”

Operationalizing concepts designed to enhance agility, strategy and resiliency, Airmen had the opportunity to practice medical skills and procedures through various scenarios involving surgical operations, dental procedures, and infectious disease control.

Flexibility and cohesive teamwork within medical units are essential to defense and operational capabilities in a contested medical environment.

“Our members are readily available to assist other sections,” said Chief Master Sgt. Jolynn Kari, 48th Medical Support Squadron superintendent. “For example, if there is a mass casualty in the ER, a provider from internal medicine could assist in the ER.”

Medical personnel would normally have to deploy to a temporary duty location to receive the training similar to what they received during MAX 20-20.

“We periodically have to go and sustain our skills by training at a base in [the United States],” said Banion. “Instead of having a lot of personnel out of pocket, we get to receive credit for the pivotal training we perform during MAX 20-20.”

Exercises like this enable the 48th Medical Group to continuously sharpen expeditionary skills and improve readiness capabilities to ensure the Liberty Wing is always ready to own the skies.