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Corpsman Integrate with Australian Medics for Talisman Saber 2007

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS070629-15
Release Date: 6/29/2007 1:43:00 PM

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class James E. Foehl, Talisman Saber Combined/Joint Public Affairs

SHOALWATER BAY, Australia (NNS) -- Twelve U.S. Navy Sailors assigned to the 3rd Medical Battalion, from Okinawa, Japan, are augmenting the Australian Defense Force, 1st Health Battalion, with a Forward Resuscitive Surgical Suite (FRSS) at a forward deployed field hospital here June 18 to July 2, during Talisman Saber 2007 (TS07).

“We’ve integrated with the Australian army medics. As patients come in, they go to the Australian resuscitation bay,” said Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Randolph Bazile, assigned to FRSS, 3rd Medical Battalion. “There they determine whether [the patient] needs surgery. If they do decide to operate, they go to our pre-op area, we prepare them for surgery, patch them up and get them out.”

The FRSS is comprised of seven U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman and five medical officers, who provide the 1st Health Battalion forward operating field hospital with added capability and capacity.

“We have much greater capabilities, both in the volume of assets and the type of care we can administer,” said Lt. Cmdr. Nathan Fernandez, FRSS general surgeon.

According to Fernandez, FRSS personnel were originally slated to set up independently but after collaborating with the Australian forces on station, a decision was made to collocate with 1st Health Battalion’s field hospital to allow maximum real-time combat health support to the deployed units of U.S. and Australian ground forces operating in the area.

“Instead of just having one surgeon, one anesthesiologist and one operating room, now we have a total of two general surgeons, two orthopedic surgeons, three anesthesiologists and two operating rooms,” said Fernandez.

The mission of the 1st Health Support Battalion, from Sydney, Australia, is to provide real-time combat health support to deployed units of U.S. and Australian ground forces in theater and is comprised of three companies: Clinical Company, Clinical Support Company and Operations Support Company.

“The Clinical Company is the guts or the main effort of the battalion in achieving our mission,” said Australian Defense Force Lt. Col. Richard Mallet, commanding officer, 1st Health Support Battalion. “They are the ones that receive casualties. If we have someone who gets shot, blown up, a broken leg or bitten by a snake, they’re going to get treated by Clinical Company."

Made up of more than 80 personnel, and the integrated FRSS, the majority of Clinical Company are medics who operate within the field hospital.

“[Clinical Company] is being augmented by a Forward Resuscitive Surgical Suite from the U.S. Navy, which is fantastic. That gives me a second surgical team,” said Mallet. “Instead of having one surgical team, I have two.”

Providing medical services support for the Clinical Company, the Clinical Support Company consists of more than 20 personnel and serves as a key component to the 1st Health Battalion.

“If you need to have an X-ray, blood taken and tests run on it -- if you need to see the dentist, chaplain or primary health care for a cough or a cold, that’s Clinical Support Company,” said Mallet.

The third company of the battalion, Operations Support Company, consists of approximately 70 to 80 personnel and provides first line support to the field hospital for all supplies, logistics, and maintenance.

“Ops (Operations) Support Company basically built this place. It’s not a big unit, but it’s quite complex,” said Mallet.

In addition to keeping the camp running by providing food, water, supplies and general maintenance for the 1st Health Battalion, the Operations Support Company also includes a technical support section, which maintains and repairs medical related equipment used by the Clinical and Clinical Support Companies.

Although medical staff and patient treatment areas dominate the field hospital, the forward operating station also manages a bulk fuel installation and field supply area, which is used to manage ammunition.

Exercise TS07 is a U.S.- and Australian-led joint task force operation preparing both militaries for crisis action planning and execution of contingency operations.

TS07 is designed to maintain a high level of interoperability between U.S. and Australian forces, demonstrating the U.S. and Australian commitment to military alliance and regional security. The exercise also supports increased flexibility and readiness, which are force multipliers in winning the global war on terrorism.