Bowie Team takes combat lifesaver training to the next level

FORT CHAFFEE, AR, UNITED STATES

10.25.2011

Story by Maj. Chris Heathscott 

Arkansas National Guard Public Affairs Office

FORT CHAFFEE MANEUVER TRAINING CENTER, Ark. – As the soldiers of the 39th Infantry Brigade continue to prepare for a potential deployment to Afghanistan, they are having to endure some seriously challenging training in order to achieve and surpass the Army standard and ensure they reach the highest level of readiness possible.

One of the most physically demanding lanes of training they are tasked to complete while participating in pre-mobilization training at Fort Chaffee is one that had a standard in the classroom – the combat lifesaver course. But since this particular block of instruction is critical to battlefield survivability, the Bowie Team took the classroom to the field and added a little sweat and a whole lot of muscle to the curriculum.

“I’ve done CLS training in numerous different environments. This, by far, was the best training I’ve been a participant of,” said Capt. Loretta Harris with the 39th Brigade Support Battalion’s Headquarters Company. “The hands on, the lanes training, was by far the most practical experience I’ve been afforded as for CLS training.”

The combat lifesaver provides a bridge between basic first aid training and the fully qualified Army medic, teaching a greater knowledge of critical lifesaving techniques to the average soldier. The class is typically instructed on mannequins under classroom conditions. For the 39th, the class moved to the field to test the soldiers ability to perform the learned tasks under much more stressful conditions as they would potentially face in a combat environment.

“We were basically walking into a scenario, we didn’t know what to expect. We had to do casualty first aid and evacuate the casualties across basically a 400-meter field,” said Chief Warrant Officer 3 Darrin Webb, also a member of the BSB Headquarters. “It was a lot more than I expected. Being a staff officer, we don’t get to play these games very often. It was good training.”

“The mannequins we have out here are 200-plus pounds, some actually bleed and move” said Staff Sgt. Nicholas Garay, with the 39th’s 1st Battalion, 206th Field Artillery Regiment – the senior trainer for the medical lane. “It gives them a real good opportunity to see how heavy and how hard it is to actually work on a casualty, move a casualty, and load and unload casualties out of tactical vehicles.

“You actually have to come out here, work on the casualty, we’re stressing you out, yelling at you, doing everything we can to give you that stress, in a safe environment – yet challenge you to get it right,” Garay said. “I haven’t seen anything like this. This training has never been done in this capacity as far as CLS classes are concerned.”

While the training is physically challenging, a common theme is heard throughout all participants.

“It was outstanding training. Very realistic,” said Sgt. 1st Class Deon Lee, with the BSB’s Alpha Company. Everything about the training was realistic. The lanes were set up perfect. Everything they covered in class was implemented in the lane, and for some of the young soldiers that haven’t been overseas, I think it was a good experience for them. Kind of gets their mind prepared for what they might see in country.”

• Date Taken: 10.25.2011
• Date Posted: 10.25.2011 07:29
• Story ID: 78956
• Location: FORT CHAFFEE, AR, US