ponto
December 13th, 2005, 03:49 PM
The medical training section of the Mountain Warfare Training Center (MWTC), located in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, will train more Marines and Navy corpsmen to work with pack mules during future deployments to areas like Afghanistan, officials said.
Use of pack animals to transport medical supplies and injured service members gained the attention of units preparing for deployments to areas with treacherous terrain. In rocky regions like the mountains of Afghanistan, motorized vehicles can't maneuver well and helicopters have decreased lift due to higher altitudes.
The medical training section at MWTC has also begun to utilize mules during their two-week Mountain Medicine courses. The mission of the Mountain Medicine course is to prepare military personnel to conduct medical operations in a mountainous environment and in operations that can include arduous casualty evacuations.
"The average litter [stretcher] team is comprised of six or more Marines, and this can be a difficult challenge in combat and thus has a negative impact on the effectiveness of a combat-ready Marine," said Lt. Cmdr. Keith Thompson, a Navy doctor who serves as officer in charge of the medical training section of MWTC. "Litter teams are normally augmented in arduous terrain. Mules end up playing a pivotal role in allowing the Marines to be on constant alert and ready to fight."
Methods are being developed which can expedite the movement of critically injured personnel in mountainous environments. Mountain Medicine instructors have developed special saddles for transporting patients who can sit up and stretchers for patients laying down. All the materials needed to fashion these saddles are readily available in third world countries.
According to Master Sgt. Anthony Parkhurst, former MWTC pack master and current MWTC operations chief, mules make great candidates for these medical missions because they can carry up to 250 pounds all day for several days in a row, up to 20 miles a day. Mules are also combat-trainable, able to get in a "low crawl" position in response to gunfire and return to a rally point if ambushed. Mule trainers claim the animals even help troops ferret out ambushes, protecting the team from further injury.
"Just watch their ears," said Marine Corps Sgt. Earl Roberts, MWTC pack master. "When they flare out you need to have your guard up. There have been several instances where the mules were able to sense an ambush well before the troops do." [Emphasis added]
"When faced with otherwise carrying back breaking loads in difficult terrain, these students walk away with a deep sense of appreciation for the mules at MWTC."
If you would like to attend an introduction to Horses, Donkeys, and Mules Class in Maysville, contact the Community College, Call 606-742-200 or visit this local web site (http://www.strodesrun.com/index.php?page_id=9)
Use of pack animals to transport medical supplies and injured service members gained the attention of units preparing for deployments to areas with treacherous terrain. In rocky regions like the mountains of Afghanistan, motorized vehicles can't maneuver well and helicopters have decreased lift due to higher altitudes.
The medical training section at MWTC has also begun to utilize mules during their two-week Mountain Medicine courses. The mission of the Mountain Medicine course is to prepare military personnel to conduct medical operations in a mountainous environment and in operations that can include arduous casualty evacuations.
"The average litter [stretcher] team is comprised of six or more Marines, and this can be a difficult challenge in combat and thus has a negative impact on the effectiveness of a combat-ready Marine," said Lt. Cmdr. Keith Thompson, a Navy doctor who serves as officer in charge of the medical training section of MWTC. "Litter teams are normally augmented in arduous terrain. Mules end up playing a pivotal role in allowing the Marines to be on constant alert and ready to fight."
Methods are being developed which can expedite the movement of critically injured personnel in mountainous environments. Mountain Medicine instructors have developed special saddles for transporting patients who can sit up and stretchers for patients laying down. All the materials needed to fashion these saddles are readily available in third world countries.
According to Master Sgt. Anthony Parkhurst, former MWTC pack master and current MWTC operations chief, mules make great candidates for these medical missions because they can carry up to 250 pounds all day for several days in a row, up to 20 miles a day. Mules are also combat-trainable, able to get in a "low crawl" position in response to gunfire and return to a rally point if ambushed. Mule trainers claim the animals even help troops ferret out ambushes, protecting the team from further injury.
"Just watch their ears," said Marine Corps Sgt. Earl Roberts, MWTC pack master. "When they flare out you need to have your guard up. There have been several instances where the mules were able to sense an ambush well before the troops do." [Emphasis added]
"When faced with otherwise carrying back breaking loads in difficult terrain, these students walk away with a deep sense of appreciation for the mules at MWTC."
If you would like to attend an introduction to Horses, Donkeys, and Mules Class in Maysville, contact the Community College, Call 606-742-200 or visit this local web site (http://www.strodesrun.com/index.php?page_id=9)