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Training to Save Others

Courtesy Photo | A Montenegrin army soldier responds to a simulated casualty during a combat lifesaver...... read more read more

POL-E KHUMRI, AFGHANISTAN

12.23.2010

Courtesy Story

ISAF Joint Command

POL-E KHUMRI, Afghanistan - The 541st Forward Surgical Team is teaching a Combat Lifesaver course monthly to International Security Assistance Forces and Afghan national security forces to help prepare troops in the event of a medical emergency.

The course is usually five days in length, and the class size varies from seven to18 troops. Students learn how to control bleeding, treat open chest wounds, and make decisions on how and when to recover and move an injured patient on the battlefield.

“We are the only surgical team in the Baghlan Province, and we thought it would be important to teach combat lifesaving skills to ISAF and ANSF forces,” said U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Virginia Andrews-Arce, 541st FST, senior licensed practical nurse. “These skills are important because they increase the likelihood of survival for injured soldiers from the point of injury until they can make it to the surgical team.”

Even though English is not the primary language of most students, the hands-on nature of medical training transcends language skills.

“Language was not a huge problem, we know enough English at a high enough level to follow the course,” said Montenegrin army Capt. Miloje Knezevic. “The instructors help by showing us hands on demonstrations, and we can learn by watching them.”

Once the students have completed the course, they have to take a written and practical test in order to graduate. After completing combat lifesaving classes students will have newfound knowledge to potentially save the life of someone wounded on the battlefield.

“I am very thankful for Staff Sgt. Arce and the other members of the 541st FST,” said Knezevic. “I can say that this experience will be very useful in treating injured patients on the battlefield.”