Photo By Staff Sgt. James Hunter | Command Sgt. Maj. Scott Schroeder shakes hands with the top graduate of the Combat...... read more read more
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By Sgt. James Hunter
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division
BAGHDAD - With the threat of roadside bombs and small-arms fire still evident on the streets of Baghdad, combat lifesavers play a vital role in providing immediate aid to injured troops.
However, within the Iraqi army, medicine seems to take a back seat to other issues with their medicinal knowledge at the soldier and the unit level behind that of the American forces encounter, said Spc. Jonathon Sprader, a native of Grafton, Wisc.
Sprader serves with Company C, 526th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad.
To combat the threat, two Soldiers from the 526th Brigade Support Battalion, taught a three-day combat lifesaver's course that kicked off, March 2, to 25 Iraqi army soldiers from the 6th Iraqi Army Division at Muthana Airfield, which is located in western Baghdad. The students graduated from the course, March 5.
The students' hunger to learn and gain knowledge with regards to medicine was evident during the course. It will enable them to, one day, be effective at saving lives on the battlefield, said Staff Sgt. Scott Greene, a native of Lake City, Fla., with Co. C.
"They were very knowledgeable and very intelligent students that were very hungry for knowledge," Greene said. "The more we taught, the more they wanted to know about medicine."
Within the course, Greene and Sprader, the course instructors, taught various aspects of combat medicine, dealing with controlled bleeding, treatment for burns and fractures, and how to deal with closed airway breathing.
They focused on the importance of working together and reinforced the fact that the overall importance is saving a life, said Green.
"It basically teaches the Iraqis the importance of medicine – the first-line medical support and medical care," said Greene. If the combat lifesaver can treat a casualty and get him to a doctor, the injured Soldier has a 75 percent greater chance of survival.
With qualified combat lifesavers in a platoon, it greatly strengthens the Iraqi army life support system, added Greene, who said there is usually only one medic per platoon.
"Obviously, medics can't be everywhere, so that is why it's important to have a combat lifesaver," Greene said.
With two to three qualified combat lifesavers per squad, he added, it cuts the ratio down and strengthens the medical program.
Greene and Sprader both said combat lifesaver's play a vital role in combat. The two served on Military Transition Teams during their last deployment, treating both Iraqi security and coalition forces.
"If it wasn't for the combat lifesavers, 95 percent of them would be dead right now ... ," Greene said.
The first few minutes, from the time a Soldier is injured, are the most critical, said Sprader. "It's really important to get everyone trained up to act instantly so there's no dead time when a Soldier is wounded."
Though the course was only three days long, Sprader said he hopes what his team taught within the course will prove to be beneficial.
"I hope that what I taught them is going to be helpful if it needs to be applied," he added.
Of the 25 graduates, four were women from the Headquarters and Service Battery, 6th IA Division. Six of the students will move onto Camp Taji to become qualified Iraqi army medics.
| Date Taken: | 03.05.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 03.07.2008 16:34 |
| Story ID: | 17123 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 407 |
| Downloads: | 212 |
This work, Iraqi army soldiers graduate from combat lifesavers course, by SSG James Hunter, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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