EDINBURGH, INDIANA -- U.S. Marines with Communication Company, 14th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division teamed up with the 38th Combat Aviation Brigade of the Indiana National Guard for a joint communications and casualty evacuation (CASEVAC) training exercise at Camp Atterbury on March 14, 2025. The exercise focused on enhancing interservice coordination, secure communication setup, and tactical medical evacuation procedures in a simulated operational environment.
Marine radio teams participated in the exercise by inserting and extracting via UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from Himsel Army Airfield to various training sites across Camp Atterbury. Upon insertion, each team established encrypted high-frequency (HF) communications with the unit’s Combat Operations Center (COC), simulating the rapid establishment of secure communications in an expeditionary environment.
“Integrating air assets with ground-based radio operations strengthens our ability to respond quickly and effectively in joint operations.”Master Sgt. Dominic Leto, Communications Company, 14th Marine Regiment
A key component of the training involved the coordination of CASEVAC missions. Each team was tasked with requesting a medical evacuation for a simulated casualty, securing a landing zone, and loading the Marine onto a designated UH-60 for transport. Once complete, teams then requested extraction.
Joint coordination included comprehensive safety briefs, mission-specific HF instruction, and real-time communication across encrypted HF and VHF networks using systems such as the AN/PRC-160, AN/PRC-152, and AN/PRC-117G.
“This joint training provided an opportunity to refine communication procedures and CASEVAC coordination under realistic conditions,” said Master Sgt. Dominic Leto, transmissions chief with Communications Company. “Integrating air assets with ground-based radio operations strengthens our ability to respond quickly and effectively in joint operations.”