Army's 3 Close Health Company (3CHC), part of 3 Health Battalion (3HB), recently conducted Exercise Urban Shrike - a training operation to test and sharpen combat medical capabilities of personnel in hostile urban environments.
Held at the close training area at RAAF Edinburgh and the urban operation training facility at Cultana Training Area, medics delivered life-saving care under fire, navigated urban chaos and managed casualties over extended periods.
Commanding Officer 3HB Lieutenant Colonel Shaun Fitzell said the teams were pushed to their limits to ensure they could deliver close health support and prolonged casualty care when evacuation wasn't an option.
The exercise included realistic combat scenarios, protected mobility vehicle treatment team operations and casualty evacuation drills.
Participants were trained in trauma care, battlefield triage in a mass casualty situation and communication protocols - all essential for operating in high-threat environments.
Officer Commanding 3CHC Major Hamish McNamara said the exercise was about survivability and precision.
