SMALL V CORPS SURGICAL TEAM RETURNS HOME FROM BIG MISSION IN SOUTHWEST ASIA
V Corps Release
Release Date: 3/5/2004
By Spc. Kristopher Joseph V Corps Public Affairs Office
MIESAU AMMO DEPOT, Germany -- They may be the smallest element of V Corps' 212th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, but the 160th Forward Surgical Team got a big welcome as its final members returned here from Southwest Asia March 3.
Just 12 Soldiers clambered off the bus that carried the team home from Ramstein Air Base, a number that pales in comparison to many corps units returning from Operation Iraqi Freedom. But to the 212th's headquarters company, size didn't matter - the company was out in full force to welcome their "Fast Team" and congratulate them for a job well done.
Twenty medical Soldiers -- 10 enlisted and 10 officers - normally man the FST. The dozen who returned this week were the last of the team to make their way back to Germany. Their arrival also marked the final return of all 212th Soldiers from their year-long deployment.
The 160th role in OIF was to provide "fast" medical support to some of the Army's most active infantry units. Initially, the team was attached to the 101st Airborne Division, moving with the "Screaming Eagle" troops through seven cities in Iraq until being tasked to support the 3rd Infantry Division in Fallujah, Iraq.
In total, the 160th made nine moves by convoy throughout Iraq, covering more than 3,000 miles, said its commander, Dr. (Lt. Col.) Alfonso Alarcon.
"This is a small group with a large mission," said Sgt. Clarence Behan, a health care specialist for the 160th.
Behan said the team's presence among the infantry was highly appreciated, and having their high-speed medical care available raised the morale of injured soldiers who had to go back out into life-threatening missions time and time again.
"They loved us," said Behan. "I could really see that we boosted the infantry's confidence (in performing) their mission, knowing that we were there."
The FST's doctrine states that wherever the team moves, it is supposed to be set up and ready to see patients in two hours. Behan said the 160th often exceeded that standard, and at times was ready in as little as 40 minutes. Behan said the ever-invasive Iraqi sand was their biggest challenge, but caring for the wounded and transitioning seriously injured patients to larger military medical facilities ran smoothly.
"It's the people," explained Alarcon. "This team showed so much initiative and enthusiasm, and you could tell they were motivated to give themselves to the mission."
The team treated Iraqis alongside U.S. Soldiers, creating a sometimes-surreal dynamic. An enemy troop who was suspected of shooting an American Soldier might receive treatment only a few beds away from his victim, team members said.
"They (the Iraqi patients) were scared that we would torture them, because that what their leaders told them would happen if they were captured," said Behan. "Sometimes it was difficult to separate your emotions from your professional duty, but we never distinguished between patients."
While the Department of the Army fills the slots for the 20-man team, the 212th has to makes sure top-notch people are assigned to the specialized unit.
"You have to have experienced, motivated personnel to be in this very skilled unit," said Maj. Suzanne Richardson, 212th's chief nurse. "This is our 'A Team.'"
Alarcon said the 160th was also tasked to support a Polish multinational division composed of troops from 22 nations during its deployment in Iraq, and worked alongside U.S. Navy and Marine medical units, allowing the team to interact with a diverse array of medical colleagues.
"It was a great experience for our Soldiers to work with medics who operate under a different medical system," said Alarcon. "The sharing between nationalities was very beneficial for everyone."
Because the 160th worked with infantry divisions on the "front line" in Iraq, most of its members received the Combat Medic Badge for putting their lives in immediate danger during combat. The Soldiers who returned this week were part of the second rotation of team members to deploy for Iraqi Freedom. All of the first 20 members who deployed received the CMB.
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