SPECIAL TREATMENT Medical Alliance Improves Patient Care in Pacific
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
iii marine expeditionary force and marine corps bases japan MAY 9, 2008 WWW.OKINAWA.USMC.MIL SPECIAL TREATMENT Medical alliance improves patient care in Pacific Lance Cpl. Daniel R. Todd OKINAWA MARINE STAFF CAMP LESTER — U.S. Naval Hospitals Okinawa, Guam and Yokosuka have joined together in a Western Pacific Medical Alliance to provide more medical services to patients and increase efficiency, according to Navy Capt. Brian S. Dawson, commanding officer of USNH Okinawa. The alliance forms a network which brings specialists to pa- tients when a needed specialist is not available locally. Before the alliance, patients were flown to hospitals in Hawaii or San Diego. “(The alliance) keeps patients where they live,” Dawson said. “Oc- casionally people are sent back to the states but not nearly as much. There is about a 50 percent decrease Petty Officer 3rd Class Anthony J. Barlow, a hospital corpsman with 3rd Medical Battalion, Combat Logistics Regiment (in patients having to travel) since 35, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, takes vital signs of a monk at a provisional medical clinic in Thmar Pouk, Cambodia, the alliance was signed.” during the Cambodia Interoperability Program 2008. Sailors and Marines from the battalion conducted a nine-day When specialists travel to other medical and dental civil action program April 26 to May 5. SEE STORY PAGE 10 Photo by Lance Cpl. Corey Blodgett hospitals in the alliance to care for patients, they also conduct training so that local medical personnel will be able to provide 9th ESB Marines complete Combat Lifesaver Course initial care to future patients until Lance Cpl. Tyler J. Hlavac the absence of a corpsman. specialists arrive. OKINAWA MARINE STAFF Marines regularly take part in The alliance also allows service courses such as this before deploy- members to access overseas screen- CAMP HANSEN — More than 20 ing to Iraq and Afghanistan, said ing information located on any of Marines with 9th Engineer Sup- Petty Officer 2nd Class Caryl Nel- the hospitals updated Web sites. port Battalion completed a five- son, a combat lifesaver instructor Beneficiaries can see if they qualify day Combat Lifesavers Course on with 3rd Medical Bn. for procedures and can assess the Camp Hansen May 1. “A bullet has no preference and capabilities of the hospitals. This is The 3rd Marine Logistics Group could easily take out a corpsman,” important for family members with Marines trained to improve the Nelson said. “Marines need to existing health issues to know if lifesaving skills they may be know that the other Marines going and how they will be taken care of required to use if they’re called into combat with them will know while overseas, Dawson said. upon to deploy. what to do if the corpsman is not To access the WESTPAC Medi- Corpsmen from 3rd Medi- there. Marines also need to be pre- cal Alliance overseas screening, cal Battalion, Combat Logistics pared in case of mass casualties, visit http://www.oki.med.navy. Regiment 35, 3rd MLG taught the where a corpsman is going to need mil/ and click on the link for course to teach Marines how to Marines to step in and help out.” Lance Cpl. Jia Yu examines an IV the WESTPAC Medical Alliance assist corpsmen in dealing with During the course, the Marines bag during the Combat Lifesavers overseas screening in the lower mass casualties and render aid in SEE SAVE PG 8 Course. Photo by Lance Cpl. Tyler J. Hlavac right corner. DEATH OF THE MARKSMAN AFTER COMBAT DRAGON ON Has the new rifle scoring system lowered New program aims to help children, Marine-sailor teams DE standards? Editor Sgt. Ethan E. Rocke pines over families of military members cut wakes for 8th year I the ole’ days ‘when expert meant something.’ impacted by combat deployments. in boat-race tradition. INS OPINION PG. 5 PG. 9 PG. 12 okinawa marine | NEWS | may 9, 2008 3 HABBANIYAH, Iraq | Lance Cpl. Michael S. AROUND THE Villapando, a team leader with F Company, 2nd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, patrols through a field April 11 after checking out a weapons cache located by Iraqi police. Photo by Pfc. Jerry Murphy CORPSFOR MORE MARINE CORPS STORIES AND PHOTOS, VISIT HTTP://WWW.MARINES.MIL FORT IRWIN, Calif. | Marines with B Company, 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division engage targets from a light armored vehicle, using the new Improved Thermal Sight System April 11 at the National Training Center. Photo by Cpl. Dean Davis HONOLULU Marines of an honor guard from 3rd Marine Regiment, based at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay, present arms April 25 for the posting of the colors during Australian and New Zealand Army Corps day at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. Photo by Lance Cpl. Ronald W. Stauffer MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. | A Marine embraces his children May 6 after returning from Anbar Province where he conducted security patrols as part of Task Force National Capital Region. Photo by Lance Cpl. Jimmy Serena okinawa marine | OPINION & EDITORIAL | may 9, 2008 5 Death of the marksman New rifle qualification aggregate scoring system elevates mediocre shooters, lowers Corps’ standards Ethan E. Rocke the maximum score of 100. the reason behind the imple- what excellence is at the door.” I completed my annual rifle mentation of Table 2 into annual If the aggregate system is here to ay goodbye to the Marine qualification a few weeks ago, and qualification training: “Combat stay, it needs to be revised, and the Corps marksman. I was highly disappointed by the ready Marines must be … highly standard needs to be raised. The From now on, all Ma- droves of Marines who were giddy proficient in the use of firearms. Table 1 minimum scores for each rines will be either sharp- over the fact that they were able Well-trained Marines have the con- classification need to come back S to make up for a mediocre perfor- fidence required to deliver accurate at the least. That alone might be shooters or experts. Those lines may as well be mance on Table 1 with a decent fire under the most adverse battle enough, but we should also consid- written into the new Marine Corps performance on Table 2. conditions. The rifle is the primary er the fact that a shooter’s proficien- Combat Marksmanship Program Two Marines from my office means by which Marines accom- cy with a rifle should be measured order, which has effectively low- were on the range with me. Both plish their mission … The objective consistently. We used to require 84 ered the Corps’ standard for excel- had never qualified above marks- of marksmanship training is to percent hits for sharpshooter and lence in rifle marksmanship. man. Both shot below a 210 on the develop, sustain, and improve indi- 88 percent hits for expert on Table That may just be my humble fundamental course. Both left the vidual combat shooting skills.” 1. Maybe we need to require the opinion, but I am predicting, and range sharpshooters. This type of I agree 100 percent with all that same minimums on both tables. hoping, that once Corps officials outcome was rampant across the and am glad the Corps has imple- Some Marines might shudder run the numbers and analyze the entire range detail. mented Table 2 into annual quali- at that elevated standard, which statistical evidence of One Marine on my detail shot fication. It is valuable training. would mean a bad day of combat OPINION how many Marines a 193 on Table 1, just three points What I don’t agree with is the marksmanship shooting could are earning a classification of above the minimum score needed way the aggregate scoring system mean the loss of a higher badge sharpshooter or expert now com- to pass the table, and still walked has degraded the distinction of classification. What those Marines pared to before our rifle qualifica- away from Table 2 with a brand what an expert shooter is by Ma- should shudder at is that right now tion standards changed, they will new shiny sharpshooter badge. rine standards. we have a system that has drasti- come to the same conclusion. This amused him, just like it Under these new standards, cally lowered our standards. The problem is that the new ag- amused all the other Marines who the Corps has opened the doors Last time I checked, lowering gregate scoring system combines walked away from the range this and welcomed everyone to the standards is something Marines a shooter’s scores from the fun- year with a new notion of what is party: “Chips and dip to the right, don’t do. damental marksmanship portion, average, excellent or outstanding sharpshooter and expert badges to Rocke is the editor for the Oki- Table 1, and the combat marks- when it comes to a Marine’s ability the left. Please check any sense of nawa Marine. manship portion, Table 2, and that with a rifle. The fact that Marines aggregate score now determines a are literally laughing at this new shooter’s badge classification. system speaks volumes about its The new system eliminates, impact on our standards. FACT CHECK on the fundamental marksman- I collected data on 176 shoot- POW/MIA BRACELETS ship course, the minimum score ers who qualified with the new a shooter must receive to earn a system on Okinawa. Of those 176 classification above marksman. shooters, 93 qualified as ex- Shooters used to have to obtain a perts, 53 qualified sharpshooter Are POW/MIA bracelets authorized for wear in uniform? minimum score of 210 or 220 (out and seven qualified marksman.