Page 136 - Rifles 2017 Issue No 3

Armenian Med Deployment
This summer 6 RIFLES were invited back to then returned and proceeded to remove the entire
IT FELT REALLY GOOD TO WATCH THE EXERCISE GO EXACTLY TO PLAN
Armenia, Captain Patching (the MO) and 5 medics volunteered to take on the mission alongside the Kansas National Guard. This year we were teaching Armenian re- ghters, in the Shirak province, basic emergency life-saving skills and CBRN awareness, recognition and response.
We were split into combined British and American teams of 2-4 people, allocated a translator and sent to six different re stations. We met the chief, had a tour and started our lessons and were pleasantly surprised with the amount of knowledge and profes- sionalism that the re- ghters had. Throughout the day we were constantly offered coffee, cake and chocolate as well as vodka and brandy, which in Armenian culture is rude to turn down. As we were constantly drinking coffee we ended up having to visit the hole in the ground several times, however we still didn’t get used to its unique aroma. It was amazing to see how thankful the Armenian re ghters were that we were there teaching them. There was nothing they wouldn’t do to support us. Cpl Scott was teaching CBRN in Artik. As he is an extremely dynamic teacher he quickly got very hot so asked the chief if he could open the window. The chief delegated this to another re ghter who disappeared out of the room for a few minutes,
window frame from the wall!
Each team got to work at two re stations and the
last day of each rotation called for celebrations. The chiefs put on BBQ’s, cultural visits, food platters, lots of coffee and vodka. This was a great way to say goodbye to the teams that we had been working with and wish them the best for the future. This was also a good opportunity for us to congratulate and celebrate what had been achieved in such a short space of time. We were able to present each re station with a certi cate of achievement and a few photographs that we had taken whilst we had been there, which marked the friendships that we had made.
After the 8 days of training we put together a nal exercise where the re- ghters get to show off all their new skills. The exercise scenario included a car, a re, a collapsed building with numerous casualties and a chlorine leak. First Pte Cox took command of preparing all our casualties with casualty simulation moulages which looked really effective, all from locally sourced ingredients. Once the VIPS had arrived to watch the exercise unfold we placed our casualties in their positions and then the moment arrived, the re was lit!
We stood back until the re- ghters had put out the re and then the re- ghters started their medicals skills on the injured. A few of us went along side watching them work; everything the re- ghters did was correct and it was a great to see how effec- tively they worked as a team. LCpl Lake took control of the triage and ambulance handover where they used handover skills they learnt from the lessons that week. Once the medical side of things were handled the CBRN element took place which again ran really smoothly using all skills we had trained them to use. They set up their CBRN bays and washed and prepped their casualties correctly for the medical staff. The weather was so hot all the re- ghters were sweating so much in all their gear! But to see the pride in their faces was really rewarding. Once the exercise had nished we had group photos and the VIPS said a few words regarding all the hard work we’ve put in over the last couple of weeks. We were able to present the Minister of Emergency Situations with a 6 Ri es plaque to remember us by. We were also all presented with bottles of wine as a thank you present; unfortunately a couple of bottles themselves became casualties on the plane journey home, leaving us reeking of wine.
It felt really good to watch the exercise go exactly to plan and to see how far they had come in just 2 weeks of training! I hope they will continue to practice their training and pass it on to other re- ghters so they all have that extended knowledge of medical and CBRN training. Overall its exercises like this that make us 6 RIFLES soldiers and proud to be medics.
We returned to Wyvern Barracks as more knowl- edgeable, con dent and resilient. We are thankful to everyone who supported us and made this trip possible and hope that we will be able to further develop the links between 6 RIFLES and the Kansas National Guard and 6 Ri es and Armenia.
Pte Ward (with a little help from Pte Cox, LCpl Lake, Cpl Pike and Cpl Scott)
One of the Armenian Fire stations that received knowledge and skills passed on by the 6 RIFLES Med Engagement Team
134 SIXTH BATTALION
THE RIFLES
The 6 RIFLES Med Engagement Team with their US counterpart and an Armenian Fire Of cer