An annual Mother’s Day event at a Buddhist monastery in rural Putnam County, NY, was interrupted yesterday afternoon as participants began suffering gastrointestinal symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea. The event drew hundreds to the Chuang Yen Monastery, and delawareonline.com states that about 500 arrived by bus from New York City’s Chinatown. Food for the event was provided by volunteers, similar to a pot luck supper.

Illness
Susan Hoffner, a spokesperson for the Putnam County Health Department, states that approximately 150 people were taken ill. Symptoms of the illness include vomiting, diarrhea, nausea and dehydration. Many became ill after they left the event. By evening, the Times Herald-Record states that local emergency services had received reports of dozens of cases of illness in travelers between the monastery and New York City. The outbreak is believed to be caused by some form of food poisoning.

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Senior Medic, Master Sgt. James Stranahan, of Shelburn, Ind., 53rd Civil Support Team, was in the third row stands when the stage collapsed at the Indiana State Fair, Aug. 13, in Indianapolis. He witnessed the stage fall and jumped over the guardrail to give aid to the injured. Photo by Sgt. John Crosby

An Indiana Air Guardsman and medical expert found himself at the wrong place at the right time late Saturday night, Aug. 13, when the concert stage collapsed at the Indiana State Fair here, killing five and injuring at least 40 more.

Senior Medic, Master Sgt. James Stranahan, of Shelburn, Ind., 53rd Civil Support Team, was in the third row stands when the stage collapsed. He witnessed the stage fall onto roughly 50 people who were still in the sand pit. He jumped over the guard rail and took action.

Stranahan triaged, treated and helped evacuate more than a dozen injured in the tragedy. Having responded to mass casualty situations before on deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, he said this hit very close to home.

“In the military, there’s always that potential,” said Stranahan. “But, an accident of this magnitude, it’s tough. I’m an older guy, I feel like I can handle it. I feel bad for those kids that have to live with this memory for the rest of their lives.”

Stranahan has more than 29 years experience in the military including more than 20 years in the Indiana Army and Air National Guard. His military expertise, as well as his mission with the 53rd CST, is responding to civil emergencies from natural disasters to attacks from weapons of mass destruction.

Stranahan attended the fair with this girlfriend after he received a phone call earlier that evening from a coworker offering him tickets to Saturday’s concert. He and his girlfriend watched the opening act in the sand pit, just in front of the stage. Stranahan and his girlfriend returned to their ticketed seats after the opening act. Roughly 30 minutes later, tragedy struck. Stranahan described the strong and sudden 60-mph gust of wind that ripped through the fair collapsing the stage.

“Within just a few minutes, the wind picked up and the temperature dropped,” Stranahan said. “I could see just a wall of dust and debris tear through the Ferris wheel.”

Stranahan said the wind then hit the stage that caused it to fall within seconds. He also thought there would be a lot of injured fans.

“With all my military training, and the medical side, I knew I needed to spring into action to help these injured people,” he said.

“After the collapse of the stage, we started using whatever we could to help evacuate the casualties out from underneath the stage. We used the chairs that were knocked down, we folded them up and used them as litters. Guys were cutting pieces tarp, taking pieces of the collapsed stage, whatever they could find to help these injured people.”

Stranahan and others worked for more than an hour through the storm to try to save as many lives as they could. He treated head wounds, lacerations, broken bones, and other injuries. He dressed their wounds and carried them out. He said he witnessed firefighters, police, emergency medical technicians react but what amazed him was the multitude of bystanders who stepped forward. Doctors, nurses, and military service members there just to watch the show, stepped into action to come to the aid of their community.

“It was very gratifying to me, being military and me being a Hoosier, to see so many people come together, so quickly, from all different walks of life to help save those injured folks,” Stranahan said.

Stranahan’s enlisted supervisor praised his wealth of experience and his actions Saturday.

“His many experiences range from deploying for Operation Desert Storm and Desert Shield, Operation Iraqi Freedom, to responding to Hurricane Katrina,” said 1st Sgt. Tyson Johnson, 53rd CST. “All of this contributes to his immediate responsible reaction to the incident at the fairgrounds. According to his account of the events and the many news reports, he and the others were but a small percentage of the attendees that chose to run into harm’s way when all others were running for safety. Without hesitation he did exactly what he has been trained to do, and then some; assuredly, if the need should arise again he wouldn’t hesitate to do it again.”

DVIDS
Story by Sgt. John Crosby

Spc. Kathy Hysong, a Baker City, Ore., native, and a medic with 15th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, U.S. Division – North, manually provides oxygen to a simulated patient during an exercise conducted at the Troop Medical Clinic on Contingency Operating Base Warhorse, Iraq, June 6, 2011. Hysong serves as a healthcare specialist and is also a member of the evacuation platoon. (U.S. Army photo by 1st Lt. Tiara Walz)

Whether treating a soldier with a cold or helping save the life of a wounded warrior, there is always something to keep a medic busy while deployed.

A typical day for Spc. Kathy Hysong begins with patient care during sick call hours at the Troop Medical Clinic at Contingency Operating Base Warhorse, Iraq. The remainder of her day is dedicated to preparing for any medical evacuations.

Hysong, a healthcare specialist with Company C, 15th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, U.S. Division – North, plays a versatile role as a medic assigned to the evacuation platoon.

“We typically work in the clinic during sick call,” she said, “but we always have to be ready to do an evacuation if necessary.”

Staying active is important for the medics who evacuate patients.

An evacuation platoon soldier’s job often involves loading patients wearing full combat gear into vehicles and providing patient care while en route to a larger facility.

En route care is the most important part of an evacuation medic’s job, said Hysong, a native of Baker City, Ore.

“I am responsible for keeping the patient [stabilized] from our level of care to the next,” she said.

“Patient care during evacuations is just as important as the treatment they receive in the clinic,” said Staff Sgt. Shirlee Burton, evacuation platoon non-commissioned officer in charge. “Without that en route care, the patient may die.”

Hysong spends a large portion of her day with her fellow evacuation platoon members preparing for evacuation emergencies.

Training for combat is very important, said Burton. “If you haven’t trained to standard and if you make a mistake, people’s lives are in danger.”

Burton has already noticed improvements in Hysong’s performance because of the training.

“She has improved tremendously,” said Burton. “Actually doing real-life medical evacuations has made her realize the importance of her job and the training that is required.”

Although being part of an evacuation platoon is a large responsibility for a young medic, Hysong said her job helps keep soldiers alive.

DVIDS
2nd Lt. Alyson Randall
2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, U.S. Division-North

Spc. Jaron Johs, of Bismarck, N.D., who serves with the North Dakota National Guard's 191st Military Police Company, directs civilian traffic around the scene of an accident on Highway 2, June 27. Photo by Staff Sgt. Cody Johnson, 191st Military Police Company

Controlling traffic at points throughout flooding communities remains a common duty around the clock for North Dakota National Guard members. Soldiers and airmen help travelers know what roads are blocked and alternative routes while controlling access for residents and ensuring quick movement for civilian and military flood fighters and emergency responders.

Most days are pretty routine for the Guardsmen, who are well-experienced in the mission after having served about 70 days on flood duty this year alone. Monday proved to be a different story for Soldiers with the 191st Military Police Company staffing a traffic control point at an intersection on Highway 2.

As Spc. Jaron Johs, of Bismarck, N.D., and Pfc. Dylan Nerem, of Minot, N.D., manned the point, a three-car accident happened nearby on Highway 2. The soldiers responded quickly on foot to perform an immediate scene assessment, noting one civilian had been injured.

Johs quickly called 911 and reported the incident to Staff Sgt. Cody Johnson, the non-commissioned officer in charge of the traffic control mission. Then, Johs and Nerem directed traffic around the scene to ensure no further accidents occurred.

Within two minutes of being called, Johnson, of Bismarck, arrived on scene with Pfc. Lucas Zabka, of Max, N.D. Johs provided a situation report to Johnson to bring him up to speed on the situation, then Johnson redialed 911 to ensure authorities were aware that there was one injury and that an ambulance was en route.

Zabka assessed the hurt civilian’s injuries and ensured the person’s c-spine was immobilized to prevent any further injury. In the meantime, the other three soldiers controlled traffic, funneling it into a single lane around the accident scene.

When the emergency medical service, fire and law enforcement officials arrived, Zabka briefed the paramedics on what he found and what actions he took. The Ward County Sheriff’s Department requested the soldiers continue to maintain traffic control until the scene was cleared and the injured civilian was transported to the hospital. Then, the Minot Police Department thanked the Guardsmen and they returned to their duties.

“Spc. Johs, Pfc. Nerem and Pfc. Zabka responded and performed exactly as military police are trained and expected to do. Their quick actions and control of the scene ensured that EMS, fire and law enforcement personnel were able to carry out their duties on scene while keeping the welfare of all parties involved at the utmost priority,” Johnson said.

Guardsmen are providing 13 around-the-clock traffic control points in Minot, five each in Burlington and Sawyer and three in Velva. Guardsmen also are patrolling levees, providing quick reaction force team support, serving on security patrols and evacuation teams, procuring fresh water, monitoring pumps and working in borrow pits.

As of today, more than 1,100 Guardsmen are on flood duty in the state. About 850 are in the Minot/Ward County/McHenry County area working alongside 100 airmen from the Minot Air Force Base. In the Bismarck and Mandan areas, more than 250 Guard members continue to serve on flood duty. North Dakota National Guardsmen have served 33,615 workdays in the summer flood fight, which began May 24.

DVIDS
By Pfc. Tiffany Lewis

Loaders from the 89th Aerial Port Squadron move to a C-17 Globemaster III to unload rescue equipment bound for Japan on March 12, 2011, at Joint Base Andrews, Md. Air transportation Airmen from the 89th APS created 14 pallets of technical search and rescue gear, to include inflatable swift-water rescue boats, generators, trench rescue and cutting equipment. The gear is being transported by C-17 to more than 80 Fairfax County Urban Search and Rescue technicians, to provide assistance in the rescue effort after an earthquake and tsunami hit Japan on March 11, 2011. U.S. Air Force Photo/Senior Airman Perry Aston

Two Air Mobility Command C-17 Globemaster IIIs departed the United States on March 12 and delivered search and rescue, or SAR, equipment and personnel to Japan in support of humanitarian relief efforts after an earthquake and tsunami struck the island nation Friday.

President Barack Obama pledged U.S. support, emphasizing that “the friendship and alliance between our two nations is unshakeable, and only strengthens our resolve to stand with the people of Japan as they overcome this tragedy.”

The first C-17 mission, operated by a 62nd Airlift Wing crew from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., is transporting California-based SAR equipment and personnel from Los Angeles to Misawa Air Base, in northern Japan, TACC facts show. The second mission, operated by a 436th Airlift Wing crew from Dover Air Force Base, Del., is transporting Virginia-based SAR equipment and personnel from Fairfax County to the same destination.

In addition to the C-17s, two KC-10 Extenders from the 60th Air Mobility Wing at Travis AFB, Calif., are supporting the operation by providing in-air refueling to the C-17s over the Pacific Ocean.

Without the KC-10s, the C-17s would need to land and refuel on the ground adding two to three hours on to each mission, according to officials.

In addition to the C-17 and KC-10 forces, AMC also has additional aircraft and crews prepared to respond if further assistance is requested.

Mission planning and command-and-control for the AMC portion of the humanitarian effort is conducted by AMC’s Tanker Airlift Control Center at Scott AFB, Ill.

As AMC’s hub for global operations, the TACC plans, schedules and directs a fleet of nearly 1,300 mobility aircraft in support of strategic airlift, air refueling, and aeromedical evacuation operations around the world.

In addition to supporting U.S. military personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan, AMC’s global mission includes humanitarian airlift in response to global events, such as the case with supporting relief operations in Japan.

by Capt. Justin Brockhoff
Tanker Airlift Control Center Public Affairs
US Air Force