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File: 110196_aacbg_09.txt
Page: 09
Total Pages: 11

cite was made available. After action reporting suggested that
        operational fund cites similar to those used for REFORGER become a
        standard planning requirement for future deployments.

        VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS

        The recruitment and placement of volunteers during DS/PF was a
        complete success story. Medical volunteers were essential
        contributors at USAFE contingency hospitals, aeromedical staging
        facilities. and expanded peacetime hospitals. Volunteers provided
        wide variety of services, to include complex medical duties within
        areas of professional expertise.

        HQ USAFE/SG appointed the Command Nurse as the medical liaison
        for volunteer recruitment under Red Cross sponsorship. Standards,
        training plans, and recruitment strategies were developed to support
        this initiative. -Standards considered the legal aspects of patient
        care delivery, including professional licensure and cardiopulmonary
        resuscitation training. Volunteer training plans were critical since
        the general population (and many medics) were inexperienced in
        contingency hospital and aeromedical staging facility operations.
        Medical and nonmedical activity descriptions were also developed and
        distributed to Red Cross Chapter offices and medical facilities. This
        was an important step for Red Cross Chapter directors since many were
        recruiting medical volunteers for the first time. In some instances,
        the chapter director was deployed to the desert, leaving a hastily
        recruited volunteer filling the chair. These individuals welcomed the
        assistance

        USAFE Public Affairs efforts spurred public voluntary interest
        and publicized contact points. American Forces Radio and Television
        Service interviewed the Command Nurse and showed the working elements
        of one ASF being set up. Radio spots continually plugged the
        recruitment effort. This outstanding support produced an overwhelming
        response, To identify and quantify volunteers by type, a medical
        skills bank was established for registration by area of medical
        expertise. Skills were classified according to professional
        categories such as physician, nurse, technician, and other medical
        specialty. This was very successful since many otherwise employed
        persons could help upon receipt of battle casualties. Other full-time
        volunteers routinely augmented USAFE clinic and hospital medical
        staffs which had been reduced because of other medical taskings.

        Across USAFE, nearly 550 persons signed up as medical volunteers
        with the Red Cross during DS/PF. Military family member and
        non-deployed active duty response was overwhelming. In many
        instances. the military member worked a shift in the regular job and
        then performed volunteer medical duties for 3-4 hours.
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