JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. –
Approximately 100 Airmen from the 79th Medical Wing are scheduled to provide medical support, alongside Army, Navy and Marine medical personnel, during the 58th Presidential Inauguration, Jan. 20.
The role of the military medical personnel is to provide responsive treatment to Department of Defense individuals who need medical attention at the Capitol and along the parade route during the inauguration.
“The [779th Medical Group] will have four advanced trauma life support teams and two roving medic teams set up downtown in the event of a contingency where they can respond and have a higher level of life saving technology with them,” said Maj. Raymond Miller, 779th Medical Support Squadron medical readiness flight commander. “Their job is to either get them medical treatment at an aid station or get them transportation to further care.”
Part of that lifesaving technology includes HC Standard, a mobile healthcare triage and tracking system that is being used for the first time by the Defense Health Agency and the military first responders on the day of the inauguration.
“For this [event], first responders will be using special devices the military has purchased specifically for medical triage to make a formally paper system an automated system,” said Stan Kuzia, HC Standard managing director. “We are creating a common operating picture for medical information so in the future we’ll know where everyone was treated, how many people were treated, what resources we used, and give the best patient care we can deliver.”
The Joint Task Force medical members have been coordinating, training and rehearsing the past three months with their last rehearsal on Jan. 15.
“We were able to work with simulated patients with different injuries, and practice different avenues of communication to our Aid Tent. This provided us with experience for the actual event,” said Staff Sgt. Kathryn Cisler, 779th Medical Operations Squadron aerospace medical technician. “My partner, Airman 1st Class Horne and I, have been able to learn our roving route and rehearsed what we'll be doing inauguration day making us more prepared than ever to help anyone in need."