ST. JOSEPH, Mo. -- Climbing through the rubble of a dilapidated building, Airman 1st Class Sara Lucas, 139th Medical Group medic, spots a manikin casualty and immediately begins rendering aid. She checks the manikin for injuries, applies a neck brace and inserts an IV until her team arrives with a stretcher.
Lucas completed urban search and rescue training at the Guardian Centers in Perry, Georgia last summer. She enjoyed getting hands-on experience in a realistic environment.
“You hear about how we’re gonna go to natural disasters, but until I was actually there and like standing on the rubble…it really puts it into perspective and you really learn what it’s actually going to be like,” Lucas said.
Lucas joined the 139th Medical Group after high school and is currently enrolled in the Sinclair School of Nursing at Missouri State University. Lucas says her career in the National Guard makes her more prepared for her nursing school and her future civilian career.
“I've already learned a ton of skills that I'm literally learning right now in nursing school, like taking patient history, taking blood pressure and IVs, and just working in a hospital because of the Guard,” she said.
Lucas earned her EMT license through the Guard and hopes to be a first responder on the civilian side, like her father. She encourages other women to join the Guard because of the accessibility of hands-on, skill-building training and benefits it provides for civilian careers.
“I think a lot of women out there probably think like, ‘Oh, I could never do that. I don't want to get yelled at. I can't. I'm not strong enough.’ But I probably work my brain way more than my body, especially in my job.”