U.S. Army Europe Soldiers with Joint Task Force-East train Romanian counterparts in lifesaving skills

Courtesy Photo | Sgt. Steven L. Gustafson (at center rear) of U.S. Army Europe's 212th Combat Support Hospital, instructs Romanian soldiers of the 33rd Mountain Troops Battalion "Posada" on combat lifesaving techniques at Mihail Kogalniceanu Airfield, Romania, July 17, as part of Joint Task Force-East operations.  

MIHAIL KOGALNICEANU, ROMANIA

07.20.2009

Story by Lt. Col. Daniel Herrigstad 

Task Force - East

MIHAIL KOGALNICEANU AIRFIELD, Romania -- Thirty Romanian soldiers trained on combat lifesaving skills here this week by U.S. Soldiers from Joint Task Force - East.

The Romanian troops from the 33rd Mountain Troops Battalion "Posada," who are preparing for an upcoming deployment, spent five days with U.S. Army Europe Soldiers from the 212th Combat Support Hospital completing the Combat Lifesaver Course, an introduction to basic medical treatment designed to save lives on the battlefield. Another 30 Mountaineer troops will arrive next week to do the same.

"We try and make this as stressful an environment as possible for the training evaluation portion," said 2nd Lt. John K. Karlsson, a Medical Service Corps officer assigned to JTF-E who facilitated the training.

"The first time one of these soldiers experiences a real injury in a heated combat environment this will hopefully help them be better prepared to handle it."

Combat Lifesaver Training teaches Soldiers how to perform basic lifesaving in a combat environment, such as how to stop bleeding, open an airway, administer an intravenous line to a patient and evacuate a casualty for medical treatment. Army medical officials say the training has been instrumental in helping stabilize injured Soldiers on the battlefield so they can be transported from point of injury to a medical facility within the "golden hour" during which a casualty the greatest chances of surviving.

Six Soldiers from the 212th, based at Miesau Army Depot, Germany, are conducting the training here and then will move on to do similar training in Bulgaria as part of JTF-E training operations there.

• Date Taken: 07.20.2009
• Date Posted: 07.21.2009 14:07
• Story ID: 36626
• Location: MIHAIL KOGALNICEANU, RO