The 169thCombat Sustainment Support Battalion, Kansas Army National Guard, will host an activation ceremony for the 117th Medical Company, Area Support on Saturday, Nov. 2. The ceremony will begin at 2 p.m. at the Heartland Preparedness Center, 2808 North New York St., Wichita.
This is the first unit of its kind in the state of Kansas, said Maj. Judee Cordell, company commander. We want to build it to become a medical asset in times of need in our local community.
Cordell said the units mission will be to provide emergency medical treatment at the point of injury of a service member and to return them to duty or evacuate them to higher levels of care depending on their injury. The unit can also provide emergency and routine mental health and dental care.
When at full strength, the 117th Medical Company will consist of 78 soldiers fulfilling a variety of roles.
We primarily have medics, said Cordell, but also physicians, physician assistants, dentists, dental techs, radiology techs, nurses, mental health providers, cooks, mechanics and supply personnel.
We have a medical treatment platoon and an ambulance platoon. So we have medical treatment supplies, laboratory and blood administration capability, and radiology, said Cordell. We also have a patient hold capability to take care of soldiers up to 72 hours.
We look forward to providing medical support to soldiers of the Kansas Army National Guard and building relationships within the local community of Wichita.