190th Medical Group gets hands-on medical facility training Published Nov. 22, 2021 By 1st Lt. Briell Zweygardt, Kansas Adjutant General's Department SAN DIEGO – More than 30 members of the 190th Medical Group traveled to the Naval Medical Center San Diego for their annual medical facility training. "Our experience was exceptional in the way of having access to hands-on patient care," said Maj. Angie Carroll, 190th MDG officer in charge of nursing services. "We train to fight at the 190th MDG with simulation lab, lecture, and with our training site affiliations with KU Medical Center and Stormont Vail." The Airmen received hands-on training in August with active-duty Navy members in their own Air Force specialties, including public health, biological engineers, dental technicians, surgical technicians, aerospace medical and health services. "The entire OR (operating room) staff asked what I needed to get accomplished while I was there, and they did their best to expose me to that area of training," said Tech. Sgt. Austin Roberts, 190th MDG surgical technologist. The NMCSD includes more than 6,000 active-duty Sailors, civilians, contractors and volunteers. "I could see that the Navy members I worked with truly cared about what training I needed to accomplish," said Roberts. "It was nice to know I could rely on them to get training done." The 190th Airmen worked with NMCSD staff to expand their knowledge of naval hospital operations, developing their patient care relationships through 127 patient encounters. "We were able to see in real-time the daily operations of patient care and how the military accomplishes that," said Carroll. The Airmen put their training to use with 432 clinical contact hours, performing various tasks such as scrubbing into an OR, assisting with triage and providing anesthesia for surgical cases. Because there is no hospital on base at the 190th ARW, specific medical training can be more difficult to achieve, which is why traveling to the NMCSD was so important. "Training opportunities like these don't come up very often," Roberts said, "and I feel like every member that can go on trainings like these needs to." Added Carroll: "There is no greater experience than seeing what you have been taught being put into action."