Combat medics with the Oregon National Guard are adapting their battlefield medicine skills for large-scale combat operations through innovative training, including drone-delivered medical supplies at Camp Rilea.

The 249th Regional Training Institute medical detachment conducted its annual 68W Combat Medic sustainment course Jan. 23-31, incorporating unmanned aerial systems for the first time during the culminating field training exercise.

“We’re transitioning from the way we did combat in the global war on terror,” said Sgt. 1st Class John Lee, non-commissioned officer in charge at the 249th RTI medical detachment. “We’re not going to always have medevac one hour away. We might have to travel to it or use ground transport to get to an ambulance exchange point before we can get the casualty to a higher level of care.”

The course included classroom instruction, medical trauma lanes, testing and a field training exercise. This year’s training featured a partnership with Legionair Tactical, using their specialized drones for medical supply delivery.

“It goes about 40 miles an hour at cruise speed. You can carry about 10 pounds, and it runs roughly about 35 minutes,” said Travis Petete, co-founder and managing director of Legionair Tactical. “So you’re going about 25 miles, which allows us to deliver medical supplies wherever they’re needed in the field.”