30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team

Story by Jason Chudy

BAGHDAD - Soldiers from Company C, 252nd Combined Arms Battalion, recently finished training Iraqi security forces in basic combat medical skills at Forward Operating Base Falcon.

The week-long course was designed to give Iraqi national police and local police from Baghdad's Abu T-Shir area the skills necessary to better treat their wounded since U.S. combat forces have withdrawn from Iraqi cities.

"They requested it," said medic Staff Sgt. David Ruiz, who taught the course along with four other first platoon Soldiers. "They're going to be seeing less and less of us, so they wanted to get more training."

The Iraqis were hand-selected to attend the course. "These were five of their best," said Ruiz, of Jacksonville, N.C.

Sgt. Jonathon Miller said the area's Iraqi security forces aren't trained on how to treat their wounded and literally have to phone for help.

"Mostly what we've seen when they take casualties is they're thrown in the back of an ambulance and they take them off [for treatment]," said the Kannapolis, N.C., native.

The Soldiers from the Southern Pines, N.C., - based company prepared the course in English and translated it into Arabic with help from the unit's interpreter.

Classes were held in between the platoon's missions and were taught by the platoon's combat lifesaver –trained Soldiers.

The coursework included a large focus on controlling heavy bleeding, which is the leading cause of death on the battlefield, said Ruiz.

"I think this is one of the most important things we're taught as Soldiers," said Sgt. Jordan Cochran of Eden, N.C., about controlling bleeding.

Because the Iraqis were hand selected, they are expected to teach these skills to others in their units.

"The biggest thing for them was to share the knowledge we passed to them," said Spc. Matthew Fleschner of Lafayette, Ind.

All five agreed that the course was well received by the Iraqi policemen.

"They would make sure they were doing it right," said Sgt. Jordan Cochran of Eden, N.C., about the Iraqis hands-on training. "They would do it three or four times ... they wanted to master it."

"I was really impressed by their eagerness. They kept a really good attitude," said Spc. John Hulnik of Ft. Worth, Texas. "They kept smiling the whole time."

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