Lt. Gen. R. Scott Dingle, The Army Surgeon General and Commanding General of Army Medical Command, visited U.S. Army Reserve and U.S. Navy Reserve units participating in exercise Global Medic at Fort Hunter Liggett June 14.

For the Soldiers and Sailors currently training at Global Medic, the visit came at the peak of operations during a very challenging field training exercise.

“This is medical readiness at its finest. This exercise gives our Soldiers the reps and sets to ensure we are ready. Unit readiness is achieved at Global Medic,” Dingle said.

Global Medic challenges joint healthcare providers to deliver synchronized, multi-component, and multinational world class expeditionary medical sustainment services in an austere environment. For the troops in the field that can mean daytime temperatures that can reach more than 100 degrees fahrenheit then drop as low as 40 degrees in the evening.

“The environment here leads to a lot of uncomfortable, stressful situations,” said Maj. Lewis Griffith, an observer coach / trainer from the 2nd Medical Brigade of the Army Reserve's Medical Readiness Training Command. “Performing at your best when you’re feeling your worst is exactly how it’s going to be when you deploy.”

With operations fast paced and ongoing, Army Reserve medical professionals worked hand in hand with their Navy Reserve counterparts from a Navy Reserve. The two services shared experiences, tactics, and even personnel as they worked to accomplish the mission. For Dingle, the need for medical professionals to work jointly in challenging environments has never been more vital.

“When we’re called on to deploy today and fight tonight, to conserve the fighting force and return home, when we do that, we’re not going to do it as a single service. It’s going to entail the Navy, as well as the Air Force, as well as the Marines. The casualties that will come into our facilities will be joint casualties."

The Medical Readiness Training Command executes Global Medic as part of the Army Reserve Medical Command's larger mission to provide trained, equipped, and combat ready units and medical personnel to support the total force on the battlefields of today and tomorrow.