Public Health Activity Rheinland-Pfalz executes training exercise

Public Health Activity Rheinland-Pfalz (PHA R-P) recentlyexecuted its annual training event in Grafenwoehr, Germany. This event, aimedat enhancing and optimizing soldier readiness, brought together 62 personnelfrom 10 sites spread across Germany and Belgium.

The exercise consisted of US Army warrior tasks, military occupational specialty credentialing, an Army physical fitness test and face-to-face training, all while building unit cohesion and team morale.

The Bavaria Veterinary Treatment Facility assumed a largeportion of the planning responsibilities, as they served as the range safetyofficers and facilitated a number of key tasks including day and night landnavigation, mine-resistant ambush protected vehicle rollover training, theengagement skills trainer and the leaders' reaction course.

Soldiers were divided into platoons, engaging in friendlycompetition amongst each other for top scores during the various tested events.

All members of the unit were trained on AWT one – maintain,employ, and engage targets with assigned weapon systems; AWT three and four –land navigation and movement; AWT six – voice communication situation report,spot report and nine-line medical evacuation; AWT eight – react to chemicalbiologic radiologic and nuclear attack/hazard; and AWT nine ­– performimmediate lifesaving measures.

Soldiers were tested on these AWTs during a night landnavigation course as the teams had to not only navigate to various points, butalso test on the AWTs they learned earlier in the exercise.

To demonstrate AWT nine, the teams completed medical skillstraining as a group. This required them to maneuver as a team, maintainassigned weapons and evaluate and treat casualties under stressful situations. Theannual training exercise culminated with a 10-mile ruck march.

Along with the AWTs, the ATX also included MOS training andcredentialing led by Veterinary Branch Kaiserslautern and Veterinary MedicalCenter Europe.

Representatives from the VBK provided veterinary foodinspection specialist MOS specific-training on sensory evaluation of food. Thisincluded a hands-on exercise to distinguish between salty, sweet, bitter, andsour flavors – a skill frequently used in food inspection to determine foodquality.

In addition to the hands-on training, the VBK staff alsoprovided instruction focused on accurate and thorough completion of inspectionpaperwork and a demonstration of how to inspect meals ready to eat as well as operationalrations.

Simultaneously, the animal care specialists werecredentialed on MOS skills through fast-paced scenario-based training and a simulationon how to care for military working dogs.

Staff from the VMCE presented realistic and relevantcasualty scenarios to simulate actual wounds, injuries and situations thatthese soldiers are expected to evaluate and respond to.

In order to be credentialed, soldiers were tested on avariety of skills including treatment of traumatic injuries, hot and coldweather injuries, shock and CBRN response.

PHA R-P leadership says that the training event wassuccessful and beneficial as it emphasized and highlighted the importance ofreadiness, tactical and technical expertise, and the impact of unit morale onaccomplishing the mission.