Sustainment, it’s a vital part of multi-domain operations that doesn’t get the attention it deserves. But when fighting against a near peer enemy in Large Scale Combat Operations, sustainment and life support take on a whole new level of meaning.
That’s why Medical Readiness Training Command spent part of their November battle assembly training with their brothers and sisters in arms from the 90th Sustainment Brigade. The Tough Hombres taught MRTC Soldiers and Leaders the ins and outs of convoy operations, load planning, and the operational elements of moving people and equipment on the battlefield.
According to MRTC HHC First Sergeant, Terrence Wells, it’s vital to understand not only the medical mission and systems, but to also understand what it takes to “jump” these assets from one part of the battlefield to another. “That’s why we’re training with the 90th. We depend on them to move our hospital equipment and units. They depend on us to be ready to move on time and with all of our gear.”
Staff Sergeant Joshua Reese from the 90th, was the convoy commander for the element at Camp Bullis that MRTC trained with. Reese and his team went through the many challenges of putting a convoy operation together and what happens when units aren’t ready to move when their transportation assets arrive on site.
“It’s like taking a number at a barber shop, if you’re not ready when your number is called, we move on to the next unit in line.”
In a combat environment that can mean that a unit missing its start point time might not move - which could put the mission and lives in danger.
As the Army Reserve’s medical readiness and training experts, MRTC is working hard to bring these lessons into exercises like Global Medic.
“Put yourself in the shoes of a medical unit command team. It doesn’t matter if the unit is headed to a field exercise or into combat, one of their very first missions is going to be that the unit arrive on time and ready to work,” said MRTC Deputy Commander, Pablo Rivera. “One of our priorities of work as a unit is to orient around the warfighter. Medical units must be able to shoot, move, and communicate at the same speed as the combat units that we are there to support. To do that means we absolutely must integrate and synchronize with the sustainers.”
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