HERSHEY, Pa. – Three Airmen with the Pennsylvania National Guard’s 193rd Special Operations Wing are the inaugural graduates of a new program and partnership between Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center here and the National Guard Bureau.

Shortly before graduating, Air Force Capt. Steven Thompson, a nurse, and Tech. Sgt. Suzanne Nowalk and Tech. Sgt. Carlos Patino, both medics, performed lifesaving techniques on simulated patients during a mass casualty exercise at the medical center, Feb. 7, 2025.

The exercise was the capstone event of a two-week course where these Airmen learned from civilian doctors, emergency medical technicians, nurses and critical care transport specialists on how to respond effectively in emergencies or combat situations. It was the first class to graduate from this brand-new partnership between the National Guard and Hershey Medical Center.

Hershey Medical Center is now the first training center of its kind on the east coast and third nationwide, joining HonorHealth in Scottsdale, Arizona and Renown Health in Reno, Nevada.

According to the participants, Hershey Medical Center is an attractive site for Soldiers and Airmen to receive advanced training in critical care under pressure. The medical center is nationally ranked in multiple specialties and is highly regarded in the areas of trauma care and education. It has the only Level 1 trauma center for both children and adults in Pennsylvania.

“Being able to see how a trauma is run from start to finish, how it is actually supposed to look…like you can look at the theory and practice it in a simulation lab all you want but to actually be able to see it and experience it yourself, I think is the best part,” Nowalk said. “I found this training to be very beneficial. I learned lots and everybody here was so helpful.”

Army Maj. Gen. Lisa Hou, joint surgeon general of the National Guard Bureau, attended the capstone exercise to get a firsthand look at what these Airmen learned. She expressed appreciation for the medical center’s instructors and staff for the time they have dedicated to the program and for their efforts in keeping Soldiers and Airmen mission ready.

“I’m extremely excited for this new collaboration,” Hou said. “Trauma training is critical for our Soldiers and Airmen for them to be proficient in their medical fields and so they can support other Soldiers and Airmen.”

Though many National Guardsmen work in civilian careers that relate to their work in the military, the participants noted that this course gave them experiences they might not otherwise receive.

Thompson is an employee at Hershey Medical Center.

“It was really great to come into a facility that I’ve known well, but see different elements in the ER, some of the ICUs and even the pre-hospital,” Thompson said. “That really allowed me to get hands-on training in a way that I don’t typically get in my day-to-day civilian job but is very key to my military success.”

For Patino, he liked learning how Penn State Health operates and said it was beneficial to see how a civilian hospital like Hershey Medical Center handles certain situations. He appreciated the warm, welcoming treatment he received from the medical center’s employees throughout the course.

“I would recommend this program to anyone I know in the military,” Patino said. “We all have different levels of experience and expertise, and this program helps you see different areas of healthcare that we don’t usually see.”