LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas –
It started with tornadoes breaking out across populated areas of Oklahoma overwhelming their medical capabilities, resulting in casualties being airlifted to San Antonio for medical care on May 17.
In reality, the casualties were Army and Air Force trainees who volunteered to participate in the annual mass casualty exercise held on Kelly Field at Lackland and extended to Brooke Army Medical Center and Methodist Hospitals as patients were triaged and transported to local hospitals.
It was an exercise of the National Disaster Medical System brought Army, Air Force, and local civilian organizations together to orchestrate the movement of casualties into San Antonio by air, and then out to local hospitals by ambulance and ambulance buses. Participants included Brooke Army Medical Center, 502nd Air Base Wing, 59th Medical Wing, 802nd Mission Support Group, Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council on Trauma and American Medical Response.
The overall objective of the exercise was two-fold, said Lt. Col. Chuck Williams, NDMS Federal Coordinating Center San Antonio coordinator, citing that the exercise's overall objective is "to improve Patient Response Time readiness and to improve BAMC's ability to handle a mass casualty."
"Here in San Antonio, we are one of the hubs for NDMS Region 6, where we serve as the evacuation center for natural or man-made disasters from Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico and Texas," said Dewey Mitchell, spokesperson for BAMC. "BAMC has the lead in today's exercise, but it is a collaborative effort of the military and civilian organizations working together that makes this work effectively."
BAMC is responsible for strategically planning and implementing procedures under the direction of the Department of Health and Human Services while the 502nd ABW played a key role in helping coordinate logistical support and assets required to support the NDMS mission for the use of Hangar 1610 for this exercise as well as real-world purposes.
The 59th MDW at Wilford Hall Medical Center supported the BAMC Patient Reception Team in order for the NDMS mission to be capable of providing 24/7 health care service during an emergency or disaster.
"This exercise will prepare us for a real-world situation, since you never know when a disaster will strike," said Master Sgt. Michael Bocconcelli, 59th MDW, chief of the Exercise Evaluation Team.
For this exercise, BAMC was evaluated on its response to an Oklahoma tornado disaster operating from the Port of San Antonio (Hangar 1610) to receive, sort, triage, and regulate the transportation of its patients.
"In order to depict an accurate distribution plan for NDMS patients, BAMC Patient Administration played a key part in collecting patient's data by using the Joint Patient Reception Team and Air Force Global Patient Movement Regulated Center by sending it to BAMC and to the NDMS hospitals for this exercise," Colonel Williams said.
Approximately 37 volunteers from Air Force and Army Trainees simulated injured patients who acted to receive medical stabilization en route to Port San Antonio. Upon landing and medical triage, the patients were transported to area hospitals according to injury and availability of bed spaces.
"The exercise was considered so successful by leaders at the conclusion that they are planning to make a template to use as a model for future exercises," Mr. Mitchell said.