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386th Expeditionary Medical Group sets up expeditionary medical support site

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Jared Marquis
  • 386th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
Airmen with the 386th Expeditionary Medical Group worked with civil engineer and medical members of U.S. Air Force Central Command to construct four medical tents here Nov. 7.

“What we are doing today is building an (Expeditionary Medical Support) basic, which will provide Role 1 care to (the) airbase,” said Maj. Steve Dadd, AFCENT command surgeon’s office.

Role 1 care includes the capabilities for providing first aid, immediate lifesaving measures and triage. Additionally, it contributes to the health and well-being of the unit through prevention of disease, non-battle injuries and operational stress.

The purpose of the EMEDS site is to support the growing number of joint and coalition forces supporting Operation Inherent Resolve in the region.

The project started six weeks ago and included site selection, site leveling and construction of the tents, Dadd said.

From outpatient procedures and clinic visits to aerospace medicine and medical logistics, each tent will house a unique medical capability, he said.

“Constructing these tents shows how capable we are as a medical corps,” Dadd said. “If we had all the necessary manpower, we could set one of these tents up in an hour and start seeing patients.”

He added that with the way the military medical operations in theater have developed over the last 10 years, the majority of the medical locations are in hardened facilities. So the need to establish this location has given them an opportunity to demonstrate their expeditionary nature.

For some, it was the first opportunity to see an EMEDS site go up.
“We train a lot to do this kind of stuff,” said Staff Sgt. Joseph Antonic, 386th EMDG. “Since day one, this is what we are taught to do. To get the opportunity to do it in real life is rewarding.”

The tents should be completed and operational within days. Once that is done, Airmen from the 386th EMDG will supplement the staff to help operate the site and ensure the joint and coalition service members get the care they need to continue operations.