JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Students in UNF’s Army ROTC program Thursday trained to stabilize and air evacuate comrades injured in the field.
“This is real business,” Major Carlos Aviles with UNF’s Army ROTC said. “How to load somebody onto a litter, how to strap them, how to transport them on and off a Black Hawk.”
A Black Hawk circled overhead, with each of the ROTC cadets getting a chance to load up and take flight. Aviles said these are skills the cadets will be expected to have once they assume leadership positions in the Army.
“Learning here and seeing what a medical evacuation is supposed to look like, it’ll be an advantage for them as soon as they hit the road running,” Aviles said.
Michael Christy, a graduate student and battalion executive officer for UNF’s ROTC program, told First Coast News he joined ROTC to pursue an officer position after a five-year enlistment.
“When I first came here, I didn’t think that I was gonna learn that much because I’m coming from the active component,” Christy said. “And I was in that active component for five years. And when I got here, wow was I wrong.”
In addition to the physical training, Christy said ROTC has helped him with leadership skills. That’s something Platoon Sergeant Brenna McAnally, a UNF sophomore, has also developed.
“I’m learning things that are way outside my comfort zone,” McAnally said. “It’s constantly pursuing me to better myself and better myself as a leader.”