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NASA Trains Rota Medical Personnel to Support Shuttle Missions

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS081211-27
Release Date: 12/11/2008 1:27:00 PM

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Joseph Ebalo, Naval Station Rota Public Affairs

ROTA, Spain (NNS) -- A four-person medical team from NASA taught a medical response class Dec. 8 to more than 25 Sailors, Airmen and Soldiers from Naval Station NAVSTA) Rota and Moron Airbase selected to man NASA's Space Shuttle Transoceanic Abort Landing (TAL) Site.

The NASA training course was given to prepare support for a NASA space shuttle launch scheduled for early 2009. During the two-day course, students covered topics such as space shuttle equipment, space suit removal and space medicine.

Lt. Cmdr. David Bachand, U.S. Naval Hospital Rota, Spain, aviation medicine department head and NASA training coordinator said this is the last training session before the NASA TAL program ends in 2010.

"It's an awesome opportunity to learn about a different kind of medical emergency situation," said Bachand. "We don't know when or if there will be another chance to learn from NASA, so it's very important to get as many corpsmen, nurses and doctors as possible trained up to respond and to pass down the information."

The NASA trainers provided slide shows, videos, lectures and brought tools and equipment for them to examine and work on.

"We want our students to have the best training possible," said Dr. Phillip Stepaniak, NASA Johnson Space Center Medical Operations branch lead for space shuttle medical and contingency operations. "Our goal is to make them familiar with our people, our equipment, our procedures and our communications, that way they can be confident to face whatever challenges come their way."

Stepaniak also added in his 10 years of conducting training in Rota, his students have always stayed motivated.

"The number one enemy for us in this situation is complacency," said Stepaniak. "Every time I have come to Rota, I have been impressed the student's energy in preparing for a mission."

In addition to the classes, students participated in question and answer sessions with the trainers when they were able to talk about past space shuttle experiences and share ideas about future NASA programs.

"I have been interested in astronomy and astronauts since I was little," said Hospital Corpsman (FMF/CAC) 3rd Class James Sandoval. "The whole class is exciting, educational and fun for me. When I joined the Navy, I never thought that I would drive a ship, fly an aircraft or go to combat with the Marines, but I have. Now I can add training with NASA to that list."

Students graduating from the course are preparing to support a NASA mission in early 2009 along with nine more scheduled shuttle launches during the next year and a half.

For more news from Naval Station Rota, Spain, visit www.navy.mil/local/rota/.