Rescue reservists collaborate with joint, civilian partners for Operation Pathfinder Minuteman

by 2nd Lt. Anna-Marie Wyant

920th Rescue Wing Public Affairs

8/8/2014 -  CAMP RILEA, Ore. --

Reservists from the 304th Rescue Squadron, Portland Air National Guard Base, Ore., worked alongside Air and Army National Guardsmen and civilian medical personnel during a joint disaster response exercise Aug. 5 at Camp Rilea on Oregon's northwest coast. The exercise, Operation Pathfinder Minuteman, simulated a post-earthquake and tsunami environment with mass casualties in need of medical attention.

 The 304th RQS reservists who participated in the exercise included pararescuemen, combat rescue officers, intelligence specialists, and a ground radio specialist. Along with their National Guard and civilian counterparts--local, state, and federal employees and volunteers--the reservists worked through two scenarios to locate, rescue and provide medical care for simulated patients, including life-size mannequins and real people.

Dr. Jon Jiu, team leader for the Oregon Disaster Medical Team, one of the civilian agencies involved in planning and executing the exercise, said having joint disaster response training is essential in the case of a real-world emergency. He explained Operation Pathfinder Minuteman had three main purposes.

"The first one is building relationships--getting to know the people who are going to be responding," Jiu said. "The second is knowing the capabilities of the organizations you're working with and making plans to organize those capabilities in a cohesive fashion. The third is to work on areas we can improve on before a disaster rather than after."

 

Coming together from across the state and region to prepare for the legitimate possibility of a natural disaster has its challenges due to various agencies, both military and civilian, working in different ways. However, Jiu noted that they were all there for the same reason and were able to communicate and collaborate effectively to meet the exercise objectives.

"All of us medical people, frankly we just want to save lives and do better," he said.

The exercise comprised two scenarios: the first was rescuing personnel in difficult to access wooded/rural areas, while the second centered on rescuing personnel from an urban environment. Both were completed successfully. Jiu thanked the 304th RQS personnel and said they were an integral part of the exercise due to their unique capabilities and operational efficiency.

"The 304th is the epitome of rescue in both capability as well as the medical management in the field," Jiu said. "They're superb to work with--very capable for obvious reasons and actually very facilitative to work with as well."

Lt. Col. John Graver, 304th RQS commander, oversaw rescue operations during the exercise and actively participated in the joint operations center, which was used as the central communications hub for the simulated rescue efforts. He said the exercise was great training for the reservists to work side-by-side with not only fellow Airmen, but also Soldiers and civilians who bring different skills and expertise. Becoming familiar with other agencies' capabilities is mutually beneficial, he said, but also challenging.

"The challenges included integrating with people who have little experience working with the other units and coordinating their efforts for the greater good," Graver said.  "We all know something about medical care and must combine our hospital and field medical skills to provide the right level of treatment in a traumatic setting. It was really eye opening for everyone."

He said despite some challenges, all personnel involved came together to manage the incident sites, triage and treat patients, and move them on for continuing care.

Lt. Col. Kristen Leist, commander, 173rd Medical Group, Kingsley Field, Ore., said she and her personnel who participated in the exercise were impressed by the 304th pararescuemen's skills and capabilities.

"I did not know the scope of their medical skills," Leist said of the PJs. "They're not just going out and finding people--they're triaging and treating... they can go anywhere anytime."

Leist, whose organization is the Oregon Air National Guard unit responsible for coordinating most of the exercise, recognized that for both training and real-world mass casualty disasters, there is a need for military medical personnel across the services and components to work together, but also to include their civilian counterparts. She said having these exercises helps all parties to continually improve their relationships and efficiency.

"We're starting to know each other... know how to work together," she said. "That was the biggest, greatest value from the exercise--being able to talk to each other and network together, plan, and see the benefits."

Jiu echoed Leist's sentiments from a civilian perspective. He noted that while challenges exit, the symbiotic relationship is priceless.

"Political, operational, and financial challenges occur, but with that being said, there are a lot of things we (civilian medical personnel) can't do without the military," Jiu said. "The PJs led the rescue... We're delighted to have them."

Jiu, Leist and Graver agree that the exercise objectives were met, and they look forward to working alongside each other's organizations again in the future. Graver said the 304th RQS was proud to be a part of this important exercise. Creating the opportunity to cultivate these mutually beneficial relationships across several organizations is one of Operation Pathfinder Minuteman's major successes.

"The biggest takeaway is that in the event of a natural disaster, we're going to have to come together," Graver said. "It's not something the military alone can do, so we must learn to work with civilian and other military units in order to all come together to accomplish the same goal: to save lives and aid the injured."