Joplin native Lt. Cmdr. Michael Patterson, a dentist associated with the Emergency Medical Force, Great Lakes 1, is being examined by Lt. Col. Will Mannion of Ukiah, California, a dentist with the 185th Dental Company. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Debralee P. Best, 363rd Public Affairs Detachment)
FORT McCOY, WI With the only body of water being a puddle in the middle of the dirt road, the soldiers at Forward Operating Base EPW2 have been doing double-takes of the blue uniforms floating around the FOB.
Ten sailors are augmenting the 185th Dental Company and the 148th Medical Detachment in dental and optometry for their Extended Combat Training at Warrior Exercise 86. While the soldiers are surprised by the multi-force presence, for the Navy, this is old hat.
Our units train with the Army every year, said Lt. Cmdr. Michael Patterson, a Joplin dentist associated with Emergency Medical Force, Great Lakes 1. I dont know how many years exactly [Great Lakes 1 has] been coming up here but its been many years. Its a long-standing relationship with this exercise.
Eight sailors are assisting in dentistry, one in optometry and one is coordinating the Navy activities from the Tactical Operations Center.
Soldiers of the medical units have already integrated the sailors into Warrior Task Training, including convoy operations and Improvised Explosive Device training.
It gives our sailors skills they otherwise would not acquire at regular naval training, said Patterson. Its really invaluable to them, for anyone who is possibly going to deploy to an area where theyll possibly be working one-on-one with Army personnel, and today thats almost inevitable.
Deploying is what is on the 185th soldiers minds. The enlisted members will be mobilizing at the end of the year, so this training is also important to them.
Were getting the training we need. Weve done convoy operations, weve done improvised explosive devices and various versions of our [Military Occupational Specialty] training, which is really great, said Lt. Col. Donald Moody, 185th field dental platoon leader, out of Garden Grove, Calif., and a Templeton, Calif., resident. A lot of our troops, being Reservists, have civilian jobs that arent in dentistry and we have a chance, just a couple months before the enlisted side is going to go Its just ultra valuable All this training may be used.
An important part of this training, according to both Patterson and Moody, is for the sailors and soldiers to come together as a team.
The point for us is to augment and integrate to hopefully achieve a total force cohesiveness that allows us to properly carry out the mission thats assigned to us, said Patterson.
Sharing experiences and skills is also important to Patterson who added, Hopefully well not only be learning, but hopefully our guys will also be giving. Were working together and exchanging knowledge.
Article by Debralee Best
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