Each month, Sailors at Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Charleston attend Fleet Readiness and Operational Sustainment Training (FROST), a program developed by LT Bailey Martin (Nurse Corps) and HM1 Jacob Storey (Hospital Corpsman) to provide an evolving operational training platform that supplements Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) and Hospital Corpsman Basic Skills (HMSB) programs.

The purpose of this program is to provide Sailors a basic understanding and skill set related to the operational and Expeditionary Medical Facility environments, with a focus on ensuring Sailors, not currently attached to an operational platform, become comfortable with high-fidelity knowledge and skills while maintaining a “fight tonight” posture. Training is conducted within classrooms, simulation labs, or outdoors under simulated wartime conditions with the use of sound, lighting, and both mannequins and live actors.

Starting in August 2023, Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Charleston implemented monthly topics, which build upon the previous month to ensure Sailors receive well-rounded knowledge regarding large-scale scenarios. In Module One, Sailors were trained in Basic Aseptic Technique, focusing on the proper preparation and maintenance of a sterile field. Module two covered Triage and Mass Casualty, where Sailors gained an understanding of common triage tags along with the different levels of triage available. Module three, known as the Triage Scenario, involved Sailors working in small teams to categorize live actors into the correct triage category. Recently, Module four, Intravenous Protocols, taught Sailors how to best locate viable insertion sites, properly initiate the intravenous line, and correctly discontinue the line. Over a 10-week period, a total of 198 Sailors received training in these modules.

The remainder of the fiscal year will focus on other pertinent operational topics: Low-Light Intravenous Protocols, Force Protection Protocols, Suture and Staple Training, Operational Medication Challenges, Burns/Blast/Blunt/Penetration Wound Care, Low-Light Casualty Simulation, Operational Litters, Nine Line and MIST Reports, Nine Line and Litters, and Shipboard Emergencies.

Each training module has been developed with high focus on Navy Medicine and Fleet training priorities. The goal is to fill the gap between capabilities of Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Commands with Expeditionary Medical Facilities and other operational platforms.

Future initiatives of the FROST program strive to incorporate joint medical training between all services. The goal ultimately is to build a strong medical force ready to exercise best joint efforts alongside the Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Army for worldwide deployment.