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File: 110196_aacbg_09.txt
cite was made available. After action reporting suggested that
operational fund cites similar to those used for REFORGER become a
standard planning requirement for future deployments.
VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS
The recruitment and placement of volunteers during DS/PF was a
complete success story. Medical volunteers were essential
contributors at USAFE contingency hospitals, aeromedical staging
facilities. and expanded peacetime hospitals. Volunteers provided
wide variety of services, to include complex medical duties within
areas of professional expertise.
HQ USAFE/SG appointed the Command Nurse as the medical liaison
for volunteer recruitment under Red Cross sponsorship. Standards,
training plans, and recruitment strategies were developed to support
this initiative. -Standards considered the legal aspects of patient
care delivery, including professional licensure and cardiopulmonary
resuscitation training. Volunteer training plans were critical since
the general population (and many medics) were inexperienced in
contingency hospital and aeromedical staging facility operations.
Medical and nonmedical activity descriptions were also developed and
distributed to Red Cross Chapter offices and medical facilities. This
was an important step for Red Cross Chapter directors since many were
recruiting medical volunteers for the first time. In some instances,
the chapter director was deployed to the desert, leaving a hastily
recruited volunteer filling the chair. These individuals welcomed the
assistance
USAFE Public Affairs efforts spurred public voluntary interest
and publicized contact points. American Forces Radio and Television
Service interviewed the Command Nurse and showed the working elements
of one ASF being set up. Radio spots continually plugged the
recruitment effort. This outstanding support produced an overwhelming
response, To identify and quantify volunteers by type, a medical
skills bank was established for registration by area of medical
expertise. Skills were classified according to professional
categories such as physician, nurse, technician, and other medical
specialty. This was very successful since many otherwise employed
persons could help upon receipt of battle casualties. Other full-time
volunteers routinely augmented USAFE clinic and hospital medical
staffs which had been reduced because of other medical taskings.
Across USAFE, nearly 550 persons signed up as medical volunteers
with the Red Cross during DS/PF. Military family member and
non-deployed active duty response was overwhelming. In many
instances. the military member worked a shift in the regular job and
then performed volunteer medical duties for 3-4 hours.
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