European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 7, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday february 1986 the stars and stripes Page 3 left air Force Cape. Jan Koch a nurse checks the condition of army sgt. Michael Salazar. Right air Force medical personnel remove wounded Soldier from converted bus. Reformer a casual few fest medical readiness stories and photos by Dave Diehl . Bureau Raf Nocton Hall England about 400 sol Diers of the 1st inf div Are returning to fort Riley kan., As casualties of the Winter Maneu vers in Germany. The soldiers began arriving tuesday at the Safe contingency Hospital at Raf Nocton Hall for treat ment before being evacuated to the United states. Up to 100 soldiers a Day were flown in on c-130 aircraft from Germany. Active duty and reservists were involved in the six Day exercise ending Friday. About 280 doctors nurses technicians and Hospital workers from air Force medical centers in the United states Are caring for the soldiers mock Battle wounds. The soldiers were in Europe for reformer return of forces to Germany and certain Sentinel. Air Force and army medical officials took advantage of the soldiers need to return to fort Riley to test their evacuation and treatment systems. Several stateside civilian hospitals Are to get the patients to test their ability to respond to Large numbers of casualties. The wounded soldiers were moved from the army s 32nd combat support Hospital in Hanau Germany to an aeromedical staging facility at Ramstein a Ger Many said Safe spokeswoman capt. Gail Hayes. They then were transferred to the army s contingency Hospital run by the 328th general Hospital a Salt Lake City Reserve unit at Neu Bruecke Germany for treat  the casualties were then flown to nearby Raf Waddington aboard c-130s and then taken to Nocton Hall by buses converted to handle litters. All along the Way the casualties were evaluated to determine the seriousness of their injuries treated and stabilized before continuing on their journey. The Neu Bruscke and Nocton Hall hospitals Are Simi Lar types of facilities. Both arc equipped and kept ready in Case of War. Medical teams from the United states would operate them. The care that would be available at the contingency hospitals mirrors that of most military hospitals. Air Force medical officials said. Major surgery could be handled at the facilities. The hospitals Are intended to treat troops who could re cover rapidly and return to their units. Troops needing More extensive care would be evacuated to the United Stales. There arc other contingency hospitals in various stages of development in Europe. The air Force also has contingency hospitals at Raf Little Tissington Raf bikes tar and Raf Upwood in the United kingdom. Col. Ron Bailey plans officer for the Hospital exercise said Only 100 Beds of the Soo bed Hospital at Nocton Hall were used for the exercise. He said a full staff at the Hospital would include about 750 people. Most of the medical personnel who would staff the Nocton Hall Hospital would come from Malcolm grow medical Center at Andrews fab md., and ice scr medical Center at ice scr fab miss., he said. Of Hospital always ready for duty in Case of War Raf Nocton Hall England there has t been this much activity at capt. Sue Hughes base in years. Busloads of people. Doctors and nurses caring for  full parking lots. A base Exchange with More in it than usual. It was really exciting to get everybody Here Hughes said. Everybody is about 400 people from air Force hospitals in the United states and staff from neighbouring bases to run operations like the dining Hall Media relations and caring for 400 casualties. The staff of 400 is about 45 times her usual contingent. For the past week the Hospital has Bee nuart of a major evacuation exercise involve in about 400 soldiers in Europe for re f0fger _ return of forces to Germany. In the exercise scenario the soldiers were wounded on the continent and transported Back to the states after being treated in England. Hughes a medical services officer is commander of the facility that s the Home of the 310th Safe contingency Hospi Tal. The total staff of nine manages the turnkey Hospital a facility kept ready if needed to receive wartime  a War medical personnel from other hospitals would come to Nocton Hall to treat wounded troops. It is similar to the army contingency Hospital at Neu Bruecke Germany and the air Force facility at  Ger Many. Two years ago the Nocton Hall Hospital belonged to the Royal air Force. It was the . Army s 7th general Hospital in 1944 and 1945. This is the first time the Nocton Hall facility has been used As a contingency hos Pital and it s up to Hughes and her Crew to Correct any problems they find during the exercise. She and her staff usually stay Busy keep ing unused equipment working unclogging drains and making sure each bathroom has toilet paper for the 700 people staff and patients who would fill the Hospital if there was a War in Europe. The air Force supplied the Hospital with what officials thought the 500-bed facility would need for the exercise. But she said it s up to the staff to determine if that s enough. There Haven t been enough hours in the for the past three months Hughes capt. Sue Hughes commands the 310th contingency Hospital at Raf notion Hall. Days i said. In those three months wards were converted to dorms and problems like turning on water Heaters that had t been turned on in two years were dealt with. Her recent guests gave her and her staff some much needed and some Nice to have help. I walked around yesterday and All the Hospital Beds were made Hughes said. We can Only do so  when the commotion stops Hughes will go Back to commanding a unit that has 80 buildings including a dormitory and quart ers for married personnel. Life can get Tough she said. Supplies Are 90 Miles South at Raf Lakenheath. There is no commissary or Gas station. In another week or two things will quiet Down and Hughes will be worrying about things like what movie film is due in. We just got designated As a base Thea Ter she said