Mass casualty exercise conducted to prepare for worst Published April 20, 2012 By Senior Airman Chelsea Smith 94th Airlift Wing Public Affairs DOBBINS AIR RESERVE BASE, Ga. -- In recent years, regions of the United States have been ravaged by tornadoes, hurricanes, floods and other natural disasters which inundated Airmen, and our military counterparts, with a duty to be ready and able to respond to crises worldwide. To fulfill those duties, controlled chaos immersed at the scene of the Transportation Proficiency Center during the Mass Casualty Exercise held here Sunday, April 15. Members from the 94th Airlift Wing Aeromedical Staging Squadron, or ASTS, along with the Georgia State Defense Force, or GSDF, and local U.S. Army Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps, or JROTC, Cadets, participated in the simulated exercise to satisfy annual requirements examining the unit's ability to respond to emergency operations and procedures following severe weather or natural disasters. The scenario, based on recent crises that have crippled the South and Midwest, set forth tornado devastation in the Metro Atlanta area in which Dobbin's personnel were recalled to duty for a mass medical evacuation via C-130 and helicopter due to a disabled surrounding healthcare system. The full-scale field exercise included the establishment of two Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facilities, or CASFs, built to house 30 casualties played by the GSDF and Army JROTC Cadets, and were used to triage, treat and prepare casualties for aeromedical evacuation to cities throughout the Southeast. As the moans of incoming victims transported via helicopter and truck descended upon the area, ASTS participants promptly ensured every patient was properly assessed, treated and contained. With an assured diligence, Lt. Col. Bubba Smith, Exercise Evaluation Team, or EET, chief paced the scene noticeably making mental notes and offering assistance. "So far, it's running smoothly," said Smith. "Of course there's always room for improvement, but the team has been working well together and we've got a good handle on the situation." Inside the overflowing CASF, participants accomplished procedural objectives that included demonstrating the ability to identify and stabilize mental health patients in crises, perform casualty movements using litters and gurneys and other listed objectives. Amongst the crowd was a young lady with a bruised and battered face. Acting casualty, Mandisa Jenkins-Goodman from the Lassiter High School Army JROTC program, stared aimlessly through the chaotic climate, occasionally comforting her surrounding friends in distress. "This is unlike anything I've ever experienced," said Goodman in a moment out of character. "I can't believe I'm able to participate in an operation this massive, but I'm glad to help." And so was the sentiment from the other participants by the end of the exercise, said Goodman. "It's imperative to conduct these exercises to prepare for actual natural disasters such as the tornadoes in Joplin, Mo. or Katrina-type hurricanes,"said Smith. "Our readiness ensures we're able to swiftly respond in a time of need." And by the end of the exercise, participants demonstrated that when preparation meets opportunity, success is often the outcome.
