Page 16 - QARANC Vol 18 No 1 2020

14 The Gazette QARANC Association
Chief Ops Role
The certainty was that I would deploy to Sembach and the expectation was that I would be undertaking the PECC role, to build upon the role I undertook at the MNC NE Szczecin, Poland, during Ex SABER STRIKE 2018. However, as with all good things in the Reserves, this was subject to change and being a well-trained QA I was able to flex into the role the US XO (LTC Harrison) assigned to me at 30th Medical Brigade.
I took on the role as Chief Ops, working in the ‘vault’ alongside US Active Duty (Regular) and US Reserves and four members from my own unit, MOSG, who also had to adapt. Elements of the 30th had moved forward to support Ex SG19 and the HQ was left in position to support the exercise and maintain the daily operations.
My role was to establish a battle rhythm and ensure that all three elements worked inter-operably in order to meet timelines for the twice daily Sit Reps, three times weekly Stand
Up meetings at the HQ, (requiring the CPOF slide deck to be updated) and participation in the daily CUB and the daily BUB. Our mission was to ensure that UK personnel were fully immersed in the use of Multi Platform Environment (MPE) that would enable effective communications across the ‘battlespace’.
Drawing on my training from ACSC(V) and the role I undertake in the NHS, I was able to demonstrate my capability to function as the Chief of Ops for 10 days, in a safe environment. I felt a huge sense of responsibility and felt it was necessary to attend the 0800 hours BUB and the 1800 hours CUB daily, which resulted in a 12 hour shift each day – resilience I have developed during multiple operational tours and my civilian role. The outputs that were achieved were use of the MPE, professionally polishing the Stand Up CPOF slides, capturing all observations/questions and facilitation of an AAR that empowered the team working in the ‘vault’ to fully contribute
UK and US working together
to this output, which will, in part, inform Defender 2020. The team in the vault integrated well which enabled us to work effectively together and mutually support each other to deliver the necessary outputs directed by LTC Harrison.
Lieutenant Colonel Netty Jackson
of drug charts to prescribe medication; this raised some questions as to where the British nurses would stand with the NMC code. Despite the challenges it was interesting to see a field hospital in action. It was interesting to see differences in UK and US care such as burns care management and resources available for paediatrics. Having paediatric expertise interested our American colleagues and they were interested to learn and develop resources in ICU. They equally had specialities that interested us, such as respiratory therapists (RT) who have expertise in airway management and ventilation. This means that nurses can get on with provider orders while the RT looks after the ventilator, which is a massive help with workload.
Working alongside the American team during Ex SG19 means that interoperability can be achieved if ever deployed together. We have more of understanding of how each other works and functions, and what policies and guidance to follow.
Corporal Lynsey Goss
Ex Sabre Guardian 2019
In June 306 HSR joined the American 212 CSH field hospital in Germany for Ex Sabre Guardian. The main effort of the exercise being to develop interoperability of the UK and US army medical teams. As two paediatric nurses – Corporal Ellie Harrison (PICU nurse) and Corporal Lynsey Goss (HDU nurse) with no prior military experience we had no idea what to expect on our first exercise. We had never even seen a field hospital before.
After unloading our bergans from transport and realising we were in the wrong place and reloading again in 30 degree heat, we found our tents. We were pleased to be orientated around the air conditioned 212 Combat Support Hospital (CSH). We were allocated our wards for the duration of the exercise, both of us being allocated Intensive care, working alongside the American team. 212 had already been active patient play for a week, so the pace of the exercise was in full swing. Before we could orientate fully the mass casualty drills began. Being on ICU meant that when mass casualty was called, two nurses from ICU were allocated to go
to the emergency department (EMT) to assist. The volumes of patients coming through tested the triage process, theatre capacity/prioritisation, and patient flow (evacuation process to role four facilities). We were both sent to EMT to assist. Corporal Harrison was allocated a patient. Corporal Goss being allocated as a float and sent to go and get a litter, only to be of no help whatsoever because she had no idea what a litter was!
As two new juniors we were then excited to be asked to play casualties for the day. The 0545 start didn’t faze us, with the hope that we would have epic trauma wounds/make up. The enthusiasm waned when we found out that our allocated hospital time slot was 1500 hours, and that Corporal Goss would have a dislocated knee (so a single bruise) and Corporal Harrison would have a dodgy hip (so no makeup at all!). On a plus we got to see the ambulances and CMTs in action and experience the patient journey.
Documentation on the wards seemed to be one of the main challenges. The Americans agreed that it is something they need to improve and condense. There was also no use