Supporting the First Stryker Brigade in Iraq - Army Logistics ...

semiannual combat medic skills verification and cardiopulmonary
resuscitation training.
During the BSMC’s deployment, the medical-surgical
nurse was extremely beneficial, especially during hospital
assessments and monthly regional meetings and in
coordinating and resolving medical issues. For future
deployments, the brigade surgeon, the BSMC commander,
and the medical-surgical nurse concur in the
need for an additional Nurse Corps officer authorization
for a brigade nurse in the Brigade Surgeon Section.
That nurse would be responsible for medical trends
analysis, patient tracking, outreach programs, limited
specialty training, 91W certification tracking, and
continuing education of medical personnel. Having
both a medical-surgical nurse and a brigade nurse in
the brigade would permit the Patient Holding Section
to operate successfully while effectively exploiting the
skills and experience of a senior, clinically proficient
Nurse Corps officer to monitor, track, and enhance the
medical capabilities of the 3–2 BCT.
Physical Therapy
The 3–2 BCT deployment to Iraq included the first
physical therapist (a major) deployed at the brigade
level. During deployment, the therapist traveled to five
remote FOBs to evaluate and treat soldiers. As the
deployment progressed, the therapist instituted a number
of practices that significantly enhanced his efficiency.
For example, he carried an aid bag stocked with
physical therapy supplies so physical therapy services
would be immediately available during convoys or at
remote FOBs. Collocating physical therapy services
with sick-call services enabled the therapist to provide
immediate care to patients with orthopedic complaints
and allowed easier consultation between the primary
healthcare providers and the physical therapist.
Six months into the deployment, the physical
therapist had seen 841 patients and had made 6 trips
to remote FOBs to see an additional 85 patients.
Other BSMC Capabilities
The Dental Section of the BSMC supported all
organic units, attached Army National Guard and Army
Reserve elements, and numerous other personnel during
the OIF deployment. The dental clinic provided many
services, including oral surgery, endodontics (root
canals), operative and esthetic dentistry, annual exams,
and dental hygiene. Many improvements have been
made in transitioning the dental component into a
lighter and more mobile asset. The Dental Section
examined and treated over 750 patients and performed
more than 1,400 procedures in the first 7 months of the
deployment. More than 100 dental cleanings also were
provided during this time, which were critical to preventing
dental disease while in the theater of operations.
The BSMC’s digital x-ray capability made it possible
to diagnose fractures and shrapnel wounds accurately
and transport the x rays electronically. Over the
first 6 months, the digital x-ray system failed only
twice, once because of a mechanical problem and once
because of a software problem. Both issues accounted
for less than 2 weeks of not-mission-capable time, most
of which was spent waiting for the parts or software.
The BSMC’s clinical analyzer, known by its trade
name i-STAT, provided point-of-care blood analysis
with minimal wait time for results. In future deployments,
an electrical centrifuge, which separates blood
components at a speed of 5,200 or more revolutions
per minute, would increase the BSMC’s blood analysis
capability significantly with little or no impact on the
company’s logistics footprint.
Medical Reporting, Tracking, and Management
To help track care and medical logistics on the battlefield
efficiently, several automated systems were
fielded to the BSMC during its train-up and certification.
Some of these systems were implemented successfully,
and others are still works in progress that had
significant operational shortfalls.
The Medical Communications for Combat
Casualty Care (MC4) system is the hardware that
supports automated medical reporting, tracking, and
management functions for deployed medical units.
This “system of systems” supports complete clinical
care documentation, medical supply and equipment,
and patient movement and in-transit visibility.
The MC4 system captures medical treatment information
in an austere environment through either
manual media transfer or a “store and forward” capability.
This is accomplished through the interaction
A soldier receives dental care at Forward
Operating Base Pacesetter.
ARMY LOGISTICIAN PROFESSIONAL BULLETIN OF UNITED STATES ARMY LOGISTICS 7