Agile Cub 4: 4 MDG treats patients, practices AE

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman David Lynn
  • 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

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“We treated patients that were simulated wounded in battle,” said Capt. Karen Rodriguez, 4th MDG flight surgeon. “We also monitored the overall health of the force and treated any sick call issues or possible injuries.”

The exercise featured a mass casualty event, suture training and interosseous infusion system training.

“We got to practice things we don’t normally encounter at the wing,” said Tech. Sgt. Hailey Bass, 4th MDG flight medicine technician. “Day-to-day we normally just see sick call issues, here [MCAS Cherry Point] we got to do things like sutures and mass casualty events, which allowed us to hone and practice those skills.”

During the mass casualty the 176th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron from the North Carolina Air National Guard flew a C-17 Globemaster III to evacuate the simulated wounded Airmen. The event allowed the 4th MDG Airmen to familiarize and integrate with the 176th AES in a safe, controlled environment.

The evacuation training also allowed multi-capable Airmen to receive advance tactical combat casualty care training and litter carry training. The MCA team also learned how to load litters onto a C-17

“A lot of times people will see us [medics] as separate from the rest of the wing,” said Rodriguez. “Exercises like this help integrate us with the wing and help us prepare for real-world scenarios.”

The four-person MDG team was assigned to the 4th Air Base Squadron and consisted of a physician, a nurse, an independent duty medical technician and a medical technician. In charge of making sure they received relevant training was the 4th FW Surgeon General.

“The team did a tremendous job,” said Lt. Col. Allan Flower, 4th MDG chief of aerospace medicine. “The 4th FW is demonstrating its strengths and is really the tip of the spear on how we go to war going forward.”

Agile Cub 4 was an agile combat employment exercise focused on preparing Airmen to fight in a modern, contested environment. The 4th FW is one of five lead wings as designated by Air Combat Command with a focus on rapidly deploying combat air power to deployed locations.