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Trinity Rhien Platoons like this one are a middle link in a sophisticated system to treat the sick, injured or wounded. Traveling in a small convoy of Humvees, the units can be moved close to the action. Along with battalion aid stations and resuscitation units, called Forward Resuscitating Surgical Suites, the platoons are steppingstones for the wounded on their way to Navy surgical companies - small field hospitals dozens of miles farther back - and …

…usually with extensive emergency-room experience. The shock-trauma platoon is made up of active-duty doctors and corpsmen. Just before the war, they were assigned to this platoon and met only days before flying to Kuwait, Vimoktyon said. There were some growing pains at first, like learning how to work together to erect the inflatable tents, the Navy chief said. But now the relationship between officers and enlisted men is relaxed. "We've worked well together," Vimoktyon said.