CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. – Reservists sharpen their expeditionary warfare skills at Naval Expeditionary Medicine Warfighter Development Center (NEMWDC) through the integrated Expeditionary Resuscitative Surgical System (ERSS) and En-route Care System (ERCS) course from Jan. 14-21, ensuring they remain mission-ready to support the fleet.

Reservists from across the fleet enhance their operational readiness by attending ERSS and ERCS course at NEMWDC. These courses reinforce essential expeditionary warfare skills, including combat live-saving, tactical communications, weapons handling, and mission planning. By training at NEMWDC, reservists ensure they remain proficient and mission-ready, prepared to integrate seamlessly with active-duty forces. Their role is crucial in providing surge capacity, specialized expertise, and operation flexibility, strengthening the Navy’s ability to respond to global missions and maritime security challenges.

Six reservists played a vital role in the training, bringing their unique blend of civilian expertise and military experience to enhance the realism and effectiveness of the scenarios. Their participation in the Operation Readiness Evaluation (ORE) showcased the seamless integration of Reserve personnel into the Expeditionary Medicine system, demonstrating their ability to adapt and operate in high-pressure environments. The diverse skill sets and adaptability of these six reservists underscored their importance to mission success, showcasing how they serve as a vital component of operational readiness in support of combat and contingency operations.

In a simulated desert village at Bravo 1 Range, Camp Pendleton, ERSS Team 7, initially established their medical operations in a government building at the village center. However, a bomb threat prompted an urgent relocation to a small, dark, makeshift structure. As the team adjusted to their new location, a firefight erupted nearby as security forces responded to reports of enemy activity. Two servicemembers sustained life-threatening injuries from an improvised explosive device (IED) and multiple gunshot wounds. Amid heavy fire, two Basic Reconnaissance Corpsmen (BRC), supported by security personnel, provided immediate point-of-injury care. The simulated patients presented by high-fidelity manikins were then transported by ERCS Team 6 and ERCS Team 7 to the ERSS location.

Upon arrival, one patient required immediate surgery, where the team’s reservist anesthesiologist, Cmdr. You Wei Lin, played a pivotal role. Lin ensured the patient was safely sedated, managed airway stability, and monitored vital signs throughout the critical procedure. Lin’s expertise allowed the surgical team to focus on life-saving interventions, such as controlling internal bleeding and repairing damaged tissue, under challenging condition. This collaboration demonstrated the importance of having skilled reservists integrated into expeditionary medical teams, showcasing their ability to perform seamlessly alongside active-duty counterparts in high-pressure scenarios.

“I believe our team members integrated much more and started working together more cohesively after each evolution,” Lin said. “With high-fidelity simulation training, this course prepared our team both physically and mentally for the upcoming deployment.”

Reservists are vital to the Navy, bringing specialized expertise and civilian medical experience that enhance the capability and flexibility of expeditionary medical teams, ensuring the highest level of care in both command and humanitarian missions.

Located at Camp Pendleton, NEMWDC serves as a center of excellence for unit-level medical training, advancing combat trauma skills and certifying expeditionary medical platforms to ensure readiness for future operations.