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A
team of medics on board HMAS Kanimbla go to work on a casualty
as part of Exercise Sea Eagle.
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Photo:
ABPH Karen Bailey
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During
Exercise Sea Eagle, Blackhawks on board HMAS Kanimbla were
ready to transport casualties ashore for treatment.
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Photo:
ABPH Karen Bailey
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Health
personnel from Canberra, Sydney, Brisbane and RAAF Tindall were
put through their paces during Exercise Sea Eagle 04.
HMAS Kanimbla was turned into a Primary Casualty Reception Facility
as part of the Amphibious Ready Element. Sea Eagle was conducted
in the Cowley Beach Training Area, north Townsville, in conjunction
with 1RAR, 3CSSB, 5 Aviation Regiment, 145 Signals Squadron and
10 FSB.
The aim of Ex Sea Eagle was deploy and evacuate willing Australians
and “approved foreign nationals” to safety as part of a noncombatant
evacuation
operation from the fictitious island of Cowley, using maritime
and land force personnel and assets as part of the amphibious
ready element.
Commander Amphibious Task Force and Commander Land Force personnel
established a joint planning team as the ship sailed out Sydney
Harbour last month.
Before embarking the remainder the land and embarked forces and
their assets in Townsville, the planning team had to provide a
detailed operational order to evacuate the Australians and approved
foreigners a safe and timely manner.
Planning covered all movement personnel and assets between both
maritime and land.
The Primary Casualty Reception Facility (PCRF) provided enhanced
medical capability for both military personnel and evacuees who
may have been injured in the evacuation from Cowley.
Teams within the PCRF were made up of a RESUS team, aeromedical
evacuation team, intensive care unit, radiology and pathology
capabilities and enough personnel to man Kanimbla’s High Dependency
Unit.
Within the PCRF, a Command and Control team developed a watchbill
and recall list to ensure key personnel were contactable 24 hours
day, including to man the HDU.
In a crash on deck exercise, the PCRF was required to assist the
ship’s medical organisation with five casualties with varying
injuries.
Exercise Sea Eagle itself began with two minor casualties on the
ship, with PCRF personnel assisting the ship’s medics.
During the evening, a report of a serious casualty on land was
received, requesting a medical team to evacuate the injured person.
Three medical personnel were flown ashore by Blackhawk and the
casualty was safely evacuated to the ship where the PCRF teams
were ready to provide ongoing care.
In a second report, a Blackhawk en-route to Kanimbla was diverted
to collect a casualty and fly him to the ship for medical treatment.
Both casualties were triaged and admitted to the HDU for overnight
care. Eventually they were transferred to a civilian facility
for further assessment and management.
During Sea Eagle there was a genuine casualty for the medical
teams to treat and manage.
The patient required two nights in the HDU before being transferred
to Lavarack Barracks Medical Centre on Kanimbla’s return to Townsville.
Land Force assets for the exercise included armoured personnel
carriers, Land Rovers and trailers, Unimogs, a bulldozer, the
Amphibious Beach Team track-layer, Blackhawk helicopters, LARC-V
and LCM8s.
Health personnel from 1RAR and 3CSSB made up the Land Force Resuscitation
(RESUS) team.
