Operation Green Parrot

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jasmine Zielomski
  • 514th Air Mobility Wing public affairs
JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST --  
        Disasters occur all over the world and may happen without warning. Natural disasters, such as hurricanes, swoop in and devastate cities with unrelenting force. Thousands of people are killed, injured, stranded and in need of immediate medical attention.
        Medical teams have to be ready at all times to aide those who are affected by disasters. When disaster strikes, how will they know what to do? How do they train for the unknown? These are some of the questions medical teams think of when planning for a mass casualty evacuation.
        More than 115 members of the 514th Aerospace Medicine Squadron and 514th
Aeromedical Staging Squadron here, flew to Naval Air Station Key West, Florida, for Operation Green Parrot, an exercise where members were tasked to provide mass casualty and hurricane disaster support and relief.
        "We set up four stations and we broke everyone up into groups and trained them on what to expect at the mass casualty center," said Col. James D. Marques, special assistant to wing commander, 514th Air Mobility Wing here.
        The exercise covered several operations including triage, patient movement and critical care.
        "This mass casualty exercise was one of the best that I have experienced since I have been in the military," said Senior Master Sgt. Tonja Ellison of the 514th AMDS here. "It was well organized, well prepared and it was broken down into smaller groups where you had hands-on training."
        During the exercise patients were treated for several different injuries. Nurses and medics worked around the clock to ensure proper care was given to every patient.
        "I made sure all of my medics were in place, and that they knew what they were doing," said Ellison. "They were grouped with each patient so that each patient had adequate medical assistance and triage."
        Every member had a different role throughout the exercise.  Airmen took on the roles of patients, medical staff and manpower.
        "I feel that everything went smoothly from triage, to security and patient evacuation," said Senior Airman Kari Brown, assigned to the 514th ASTS here. "I feel that when we had our mock exercise every group was prepared."
        Brown was a patient throughout the exercise and was transported from triage and evacuated to safety.
        Patient evacuation was practiced during the exercise as well. Medical personnel were trained on litter carry and the proper transportation of patients that were being evacuated.
        Tech. Sgt. Samuel B. Cottes Jr. 514th ASTS, said that he trained medical personnel on how to lift, carry and rotate litters per the Air Force Instructions.
Cottes believes that being fit to fight is essential when performing litter carries.
        "Our people need to be fit to fight," said Cottes. "Some people thought they could carry the person because they were small, but when they went to lift you could see that they were struggling."
        Tech. Sgt. Jennellyn Roberson, 514th AMDS, said that litter training was beneficial because she had never rotated a litter before.
        Airmen that participated in the exercise thought it was beneficial and a great team building event. Both the 514th AMDS and 514th ASTS worked together as a team to complete the mission.
        "It was nice to meet people from different units," said Brown.
        Senior Airman Angel Latorre 514th AMDS, said that he enjoyed working with other people and liked the team building and unity.
        "To have ASTS and AMDS together helps make them realize that when you deploy somewhere for hurricane relief, you're going to be with people that you don't know," said Marques.
        The training both units received during Operation Green Parrot was beneficial and also a great way to ensure readiness is maintained annually. Positivity and teamwork helped create unity between the units and promote an efficient mass casualty exercise.