Georgia Guard air ambulances particiapte in excercise 'Golden Medic'

By Pfc Sarah Mellen
124th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
Georgia National Guard

“Our ultimate purpose here is to do our part to save lives, “ says Georgia Army National Guardsman Captain Jim Crill, detachment commander of Georgia’s 832nd Medical Company Air Ambulance who for the last two weeks have been involved in the joint–service exercise “Golden Medic” which is taking place at the Augusta Regional Airport in Augusta.

“Golden Medic allows us a unique opportunity to practice and fine-tune our mission requirements if we are ever called to execute it,” continued Crill.  Two UH-1 Huey helicopters and twenty-two Soldiers from the Winder, GA-based unit are participating in this two-week annual training. 

Golden Medic organizers designed the joint service exercise to be as authentic as possible. By simulating numerous medical casualty scenarios, National Guardsmen, and Army and Air Reserve medical personnel work together to practice a highly coordinated and synchronized set of procedures.

“Each step of the process is critical,” says Crill whose responsibility to provide immediate care and evacuation of wounded by air ambulance to the next highest medical care. His mission may be among the most time sensitive.  Once at a field hospital, qualified medical personnel dictate further movement of the wounded out of theatre to regional hospitals often thousands of miles from the battlefield. 

Each step along the way demands a highly coordinated and synchronized set of procedures.  Such procedures are being played out daily as wounded from Iraq are transported out of Iraq to Landstuhl Region Medical Center in Landsthl, Germany.

The first “Golden Medic” exercise took place in 1998 and combined training for both 3rd MEDCOM troops and staff.  Later National Guard units from Ft. McCoy and Army Reserve units from Georgia participated in the exercise. In 2004, Golden Medic truel became a join service exercise with the addition of the Air Force and the presence of foreign military officers from Germay, Canada and Great Britain.

More than 3,000 Soldiers are participating in this year's exercise at five locations. In addition to the Augusta Regional Airport, the exercise will take place at nearby Fort Gordon; Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Ga.; Pope AFB, N.C.; and Camp Parks, Calif.

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Georgia National Guard Sergeant David "Hoppy" Hopkins helps lift a patient and secure a stretcher into a UH-1 Huey helicopter during Exercise Golden Medic, at Bush Airfield near Fort Gordon. The Cobb County Army Guardsman is participating in the multi-service medical exercise "Golden Medic" designed to test the ability to move critical wounded soldiers cross country from the battlefields to hospitals in California. Sgt. Hopkins works for the Cobb County Fire Department as a fire fighter and paramedic. He drills with the 832nd Medical Company Air Ambulance of Winder, GA. (Georgia National Guard photo by Spc. Sarah Mellen)