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Role 2 Set-Up in Garrison Operations for COVID-19 Response
Christina M. Thompson, CPT, MS
Commander, Cobra Medical Company
101 BSB, 1 ABCT, 1ID
Savannah W. Smith, MAJ, MC
Brigade Surgeon
1ABCT, 1ID
21-0620
INTRODUCTION
In April 2020, Charlie Company, 101
st
Brigade Support Battalion (BSB), 1
st
Armored Brigade Combat Team
(ABCT) received the following mission to establish a Role 2 Aid Station
1
operation at one of Irwin Army
Community Hospital’s (IACH) outlying clinics, Custer Hill Health Clinic (CHHC). The mission was to provide
acute medical care and patient hold capabilities to the 1
st
Infantry Division (1ID) Soldiers at Fort Riley, KS
in isolation or quarantine status during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the course of the operation,
C/101BSB identified aspects unique to this mission and not previously encountered during their threat
analysis, capability assessment, aid station setup, and integration with installation health service support
(HSS).
THREAT ANALYSIS
The COVID-19 pandemic provided C/101BSB with an atypical threat and a new operational environment
to work in. During conflicts, the Brigade Combat Team (BCT) medical operations see a high percentage of
trauma casualties, and most disease and non-battle injuries (DNBI) are musculoskeletal, dermatologic, or
heat/cold-weather-related. Per Army Training Pamphlet (ATP) 4-02.55 ARMY Health System Support
Planning the Role 2 emphasizes measures including the airway, stopping bleeding, preventing shock,
protecting wounds, immobilizing fractures, and providing blood products, limited x-ray, clinical
laboratory, operational dental support, combat and operational stress control (COSC), preventive
medicine, and physical therapy (PT).
Symptomatic COVID-19 patients require critical care interventions, and a few more patients require
hospital admission for non-critical care interventions. Using the Department of Defense (DoD) COVID-19
Practice Management Guide, medical treatment facilities (MTFs) that admit COVID-19 patients need to
emphasize measures like supplemental oxygen with nasal cannula, high flow nasal cannula, and face mask
with reservoir bag, mechanical ventilation, patient repositioning to include proning
2
, daily lab monitoring,
oral and enteral feeding, and blood clot and stomach ulcer prevention.
Disclaimer: CALL presents professional information, but the views expressed herein are those of the
authors, not the Department of Defense or its elements. The content does not necessarily reflect the
official U.S. Army position and does not change or supersede any information in other official U.S.
Army publications. Authors are responsible for the accuracy and source documentation of material
