By: Norah Hamil, Meghan Sawitzke and Jai’Michael Anderson

Crises can’t always be prevented, but they can be mitigated. At approximately 9:30 a.m. May 28, 2025, the Tactical Operations Center (TOC) received a distress call for seven “Cadets” who had fallen off the road and down one of Fort Knox’s many ravines.

Casualty Evacuation (CASEVAC) is a training exercise that prepares first responders on base for the possibility of a medical crisis during Cadet Summer Training 25 (CST), the largest annual training event in the US Army.

The TOC is the center of communication throughout CST. When an emergency occurs, they coordinate, report, and communicate with every team responding to the injuries.

The TOC acknowledged the call by assessing the situation and contacting the Task Force (TF) MED team. Members of 3d Cavalry Regiment (3CR), who are serving as Cadre for CST, were then tasked with transporting seven “Cadets” and Cadre suffering from minor lacerations, bruises, and broken bones.

Upon arrival, 3CR medic staff, EMS, and firemen were met with blood, bandaged arms, and the screams of casualties awaiting aid. The incident site was filled with first responders tending to injured Soldiers and radio calls alerting of the situation. As medics made their way to assess each injured patient, the TOC was updated on the condition and plan of action.

According to Maj. Jonathan Foster, the officer in charge of TF MED, the EMS crew controls the operations and reports whether there are one or several casualties and determines where to go to be the most effective and resourceful on the ground.

The severity of each injury determines the location and execution of transporting that individual. Nelson Troop Medical Clinic (TMC) and Liaison Officers (LNO) assessed small scrapes, scratches and bruises, but a potentially more concerning diagnosis would be sent to Baptist Hardin Health by EMS ground transportation or University of Louisville trauma center by air evacuation.

“We have a wide variety of resources available to us from the support to take care of any patient that comes in,” Foster said. “I want to make sure that my team can appropriately respond [and] that they can get the correct information.”

The TOC continues to communicate with TF MED as they move the patients to a hospital or other designated health center for further assessment. As tests are run and diagnoses come in, the TOC is informed of the circumstances to ensure everyone is accounted for.

Sgt. 1st Class Alicia Gordon, TF MED, assigned to the 9th Hospital Center, 1st Medical Brigade, was at the site from the beginning. Gordon met with on base EMS, range control and the team of medics to coordinate this exercise.

“We do these so that they mimic real life situations so that we know how we can handle them, our capabilities, our strengths and weaknesses, as well as what we need to work on moving forward,” said Gordon.

This makes it easy to recognize the importance of running these training exercises for Fort Knox’s medical responders. Practicing their ability to make the right calls in an emergency and successfully retrieve injured personnel from the field helps them prepare for any situation.

Sgt. Benjamin Shiflet, assigned to Saber Squadron, 3CR, stood among the two combat medics who were the first to arrive. Shiflet worked among TF MED team C, assessing injuries from head traumas to bruised arms, before the arrival of fire, police and EMS.

According to Shiflet, proper communication in emergencies is essential. Performing this exercise supports combat medics’ confidence in their abilities to make the right calls among medical services on base and treat CST Cadets.

“We are absolutely prepared and the systems here are good,” said Shiflet. “They work well, and our medics work well. We are fully prepared to keep the Cadets safe and to keep them healthy.”

Throughout the summer Cadets will go through rigorous training such as land navigation, the repel tower, and ruck marches which pose inherent safety risks to the cadets completing them. Through rigorous training such as the CASEVAC, the medics are preparing to mitigate such risks.