Fort Bliss Monitor

AIT Soldiers perform warrior task training

Wilson A. Rivera
Monitor Staff

PHOTOS BY WILSON A. RIVERA
Sgt. Daniel Britz, crew chief, guides and instructs the Soldiers of B Btry. to walk away from the UH-60 Black Hawk using the proper lowered-body position as Staff Sgt. Chris Lane, drill sergeant, watches over his Soldiers execute the training.

AIT Soldiers pay attention to Staff Sgt. Patrick Larson as he advises them to make sure the straps from the litter are tucked or tied so that they will not flap around in the wind generated by the helicopter and injure a patient.

Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 56th ADA Soldiers had the opportunity to take a break from their Military Occupational Specialty training Friday to do some warrior task training situations with the help of the 1256th Minnesota National Guard medical evacuation unit.

Soldiers learned how to read off a nine line casualty evacuation card, triage a patient, and load and unload a patient from a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter. This exercise gave the Soldiers a chance to get some aircraft familiarization, according to Staff Sgt. Patrick Larson, flight medic with the 1256th MEDEVAC.

“We try to schedule and resource as realistic training as possible. The only way you can do it is to get a helicopter so that Soldiers can get a real experience as if they were going to the operational environment,” said Staff Sgt. Chris Lane, B Btry. drill sergeant.

“It was pretty good training since there isn’t really much triage training during a Soldiers Basic Combat Training,” said Spc. Devon McDon-ald, an Advanced Individual Training Soldier. The AIT students did not know what training was going to be done, but everyone knew warrior day was scheduled.

Lane, who is a drill sergeant, stated that every month there is a warrior day for the Soldiers in training. The training is similar to sergeant’s time in the operational Army where Soldiers get to do common tasks. The drill sergeants try to make the training mostly scenario-driven. They tried to relate the training as if it were 9/11 and show how to call for a medical evacuation, prioritize a casualty and decide who should go first when there is an expectant individual.

“The Soldiers actually loved it. There [is] always a good After Action Review to find out what we can do better and add those things said to training events in the future,” said Lane.

The students commented that training on an actual Black Hawk added to their warrior day. “Some of the comments we got from the AAR were ‘it was excellent getting that close to a helicopter’ which most have never been near,” Lane said.

According to the students, the most interesting part was the triage. “Triage is the one you’ll need the most,” said McDonald. All the Soldiers were very receptive and saw that they enjoyed it a lot, Larson said.

Sgt. Daniel Britz, 1256th MEDEVAC crew chief, said, “The training was real beneficial which most Soldiers never get. They had lots of questions at the end. Most of them will never see a Black Hawk up close again.”
Most of the Soldiers’ questions dealt with the components of an aircraft, and the capabilities and requirements to be a pilot. “Everyone wants to be a pilot,” said Britz.



www.bliss.army.mil	Published for the Fort Bliss/El Paso, Texas Community	May 26, 2005

	AIT Soldiers perform warrior task training Wilson A. Rivera Monitor Staff PHOTOS BY WILSON A. RIVERA Sgt. Daniel Britz, crew chief, guides and instructs the Soldiers of B Btry. to walk away from the UH-60 Black Hawk using the proper lowered-body position as Staff Sgt. Chris Lane, drill sergeant, watches over his Soldiers execute the training. AIT Soldiers pay attention to Staff Sgt. Patrick Larson as he advises them to make sure the straps from the litter are tucked or tied so that they will not flap around in the wind generated by the helicopter and injure a patient. Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 56th ADA Soldiers had the opportunity to take a break from their Military Occupational Specialty training Friday to do some warrior task training situations with the help of the 1256th Minnesota National Guard medical evacuation unit. Soldiers learned how to read off a nine line casualty evacuation card, triage a patient, and load and unload a patient from a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter. This exercise gave the Soldiers a chance to get some aircraft familiarization, according to Staff Sgt. Patrick Larson, flight medic with the 1256th MEDEVAC. “We try to schedule and resource as realistic training as possible. The only way you can do it is to get a helicopter so that Soldiers can get a real experience as if they were going to the operational environment,” said Staff Sgt. Chris Lane, B Btry. drill sergeant. “It was pretty good training since there isn’t really much triage training during a Soldiers Basic Combat Training,” said Spc. Devon McDon-ald, an Advanced Individual Training Soldier. The AIT students did not know what training was going to be done, but everyone knew warrior day was scheduled. Lane, who is a drill sergeant, stated that every month there is a warrior day for the Soldiers in training. The training is similar to sergeant’s time in the operational Army where Soldiers get to do common tasks. The drill sergeants try to make the training mostly scenario-driven. They tried to relate the training as if it were 9/11 and show how to call for a medical evacuation, prioritize a casualty and decide who should go first when there is an expectant individual. “The Soldiers actually loved it. There [is] always a good After Action Review to find out what we can do better and add those things said to training events in the future,” said Lane. The students commented that training on an actual Black Hawk added to their warrior day. “Some of the comments we got from the AAR were ‘it was excellent getting that close to a helicopter’ which most have never been near,” Lane said. According to the students, the most interesting part was the triage. “Triage is the one you’ll need the most,” said McDonald. All the Soldiers were very receptive and saw that they enjoyed it a lot, Larson said. Sgt. Daniel Britz, 1256th MEDEVAC crew chief, said, “The training was real beneficial which most Soldiers never get. They had lots of questions at the end. Most of them will never see a Black Hawk up close again.” Most of the Soldiers’ questions dealt with the components of an aircraft, and the capabilities and requirements to be a pilot. “Everyone wants to be a pilot,” said Britz.