MRTC observer-controller/trainers coach, mentor Soldiers in Regional Medic 2025

Story by Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Hernandez

Army Reserve Medical Command

JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. – Approximately 100 Army Reserve Soldiers, both organic and cross-level augmentees to the Fort Gordon, Georgia-based 1st Medical Training Brigade and the Independence, Missouri-based 139th Medical Brigade, respectively served as observer-controller/trainers and joined several other rotational training units to take part in Regional Medic 2025 in tandem with ‘The Warrior Exercise’ 2025, or WAREX 25, from July 12, 2025, through July 26, 2025.

RM 25 is an annual training exercise hosted by the San Antonio-based Medical Readiness and Training Command and incorporated alongside the Fort McCoy, Wisconsin-based 86th Training Division in its oversight and execution of WAREX in a shared training environment intended to train units for large-scale combat operations.

Army Reserve Capt. Angel Jones, a health services plans, operations, intelligence, security and training officer for the 1st Medical Training Brigade and an OC/T for RM 25, said her team provides coaching, feedback and assessments of the 139th Medical Brigade in their overall
competencies and reactive prowess in training scenarios closely replicating real-world situations, also known as injects.

“The key purpose of Regional Medic is to get our units ready for their next exercise or their next mission,” Jones said. “For us, what we look at in Regional Medic is that what we call a CFX, or a cross-functional exercise where we can hand-hold the units as they prepare for training here to which would be their next WAREX or Global Medic.”

Army Reserve Master Sgt. Andre Merlucci, a preventive medicine specialist assigned to the Fort Gordon, Georgia-based 7303rd Medical Training Support Battalion and lead noncommissioned officer of observer-controller/trainers for RM 25, said the OC/Ts ensure the RTUs meet all
training objectives in accordance with troop leading procedures and the overall military decision-making process.

“As an OC/T, we’re out here observing and controlling the operation that’s currently being (held) in Regional Medic,” said Merlucci. “We want to make sure that all the commander’s objectives from the brigade that they’re helping are being (taken) through each and every step to make sure that they are getting the valuable training. If they are having issues, we’re able to guide them the correct path through a different TLP and MDMP process, overall command and control as well as any additional ones for Force Health Protection and health services support.”

Merlucci said that regardless of their performance, the Army Reserve Soldiers of the RTUs will gain valuable skills and insight to carry over to future training events and operational environments.

“What I feel that the Soldiers should take away from this training is that no matter how they perform this year, it’s just for them to be able to learn so that next year they will be prepared,” said Jones. “Regardless of if they don’t feel strong in an area, they’ll still be able to build upon that and build up their processes, build up their SOPs and make it solid for next year.”

In conclusion, Merlucci said the Army Reserve has been an integral component to the amplification of training scenarios for LSCO environments.

“The Army Reserve has done a great job in implementing more real-life, real-world scenarios into this in current times,” Merlucci said.

“We’re moving into a different environment; a battle environment and they’re doing a good job in executing that mission and I’m glad to be here and I can’t wait to see the units and the following years to come.”