In the air or on the ground, Aviation Soldiers train to provide emergency care

Photo By Staff Sgt. Bryanna Poulin | As students provide medical care to injured patients during the Combat Lifesaver Course, Spc. Jessica King, combat medic with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion 25th Aviation Regiment, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade squirts water simulating rain drops. The class allowed students to practice realistic training in battlefield situations.  

WAAF, UNITED STATES

03.20.2008

Story by Staff Sgt. Bryanna Poulin 

25th Combat Aviation Brigade

By Sgt. Bryanna Poulin
25th Combat Aviation Brigade Public Affairs

WAAF, Hawaii -- "Move it...come on your patient is bleeding you need to get him out of here," yelled instructors at the students.

Moving fiercely, with as much strength as possible, Soldiers carried their patients across the grass in an effort to save a life.

Train as you fight...an Army slogan many Soldiers will hear at least once in their career.

This slogan was brought to life as 25th Combat Aviation Brigade tossed balloons and squirted water guns simulating real-time battlefield conditions during a week-long Combat Lifesaver Course at Wheeler Army Airfield.

Providing basic care is the ultimate goal of the CLS class, from administering intravenous fluids, treating a sucking chest wound, or bandaging wounds...CLS are first responders on the battlefield.

However, the class room learning was put to test when students had to apply their skills in a field environment.

"Soldiers can sit through one power point slide after another...but the real training comes when they can perform under pressure," instructor at the CLS course Sgt. Juan Obregon, Headquarters Headquarters company, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, a combat medic who spent 15 months in Tikrit, Iraq. "We (CLS instructors) wanted the training to mirror what would happen in an emergency situation."

The first part of the lane training began with a Pre-combat Inspection of the CLS bag followed by last minute questions.

"Conducting a PCI of the bag is important because you don't want to realize something is missing when the patient needs it at that moment," Obregon firmly explained.

Following the PCI, the students receive a thunderous "go" and low crawl to injured patients while overcoming the obstacles presented to them.

"We (instructors) filled up water balloons and tossed them at the students...to imitate a combat situation," noted Spc. Jessica Hayes, combat medic with 2nd battalion 6th Cavalry regiment, 25th CAB. "The goal was to make the situation as realistic as possible."

Replicating a combat situation was exactly what students received noted Spc. Igor Rodriguez, petroleum specialist with E company, 3rd Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment, 25th CAB.

"Between the water balloons and squirt guns, (to imitate rain) I wasn't sure what to expect." Rodriguez said. "I had to think on my feet and under pressure...definitely great training."

Spc. Jessica King, combat medic with HHC 3-25, 25th CAB, explained that although the primary objective of CLS is to train Soldiers on what to expect in a deployed situation, Soldiers can still use CLS while non-deployed.

"Although the 25th CAB isn't down range; we still continue training to gear up for the next deployment," King concluded. "Whether it's firing at the range or conduction physical training (PT)...a Soldier has to be ready for whatever situation arises."

• Date Taken: 03.20.2008
• Date Posted: 03.20.2008 14:43
• Story ID: 17593
• Location: WAAF, US