Photo By Spc. Ryan Stroud | While holding the "wounded" Soldier, Pfc. Mathew Taylor, Company C, 1st Battalion,...... read more read more
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by Spc. Ryan Stroud
3rd BCT, 1st Cav. Div. PAO
CAMP BUERHING, Kuwait -- There is blood and bodies lying on the floor as Soldiers from the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, quickly maneuver around, trying desperately to save the lives of those in front of them.
Sweat runs down the faces of the Soldiers who are working together to check breathing airways, wounds, breaks and other injuries. Time is of the essence. While others might not know how to react, these Soldiers do. They are the "Grey Wolf" medics – professionals saving lives as they have been trained to do.
What looks like the scene of a high-budget Hollywood movie set is actually a Combat Medical Simulation Training classroom at Camp Buehring, Kuwait – an environment created so the Soldiers can fine tune their skills before they enter Iraq and are faced with real-life situations.
The dimly lit room, covered with fake blood on the floor from the dummies used as training aides, sets the scene for the Soldiers in training, Oct. 11.
"We are here to receive more current training before we head into Iraq for the year," said Spc. Anthony Woestman, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, and a native of Monroe, Iowa.
"This is high-speed training that is getting us up to date and keeping us ready," he said.
The trainers at the facility are really current with what is going on in country, added Pfc. Mathew Taylor, Company C, 1st -12th CAV, and an native of Daytona Beach, Fla. They bring their knowledge here to teach the Soldiers recent and relevant information necessary for saving lives.
The training event begins with classroom work where the Soldiers review skills they trained on in the past and learn more current measures to save lives. After they are finished, they move to the dummies lying on the floor, testing their skills and knowledge in a simulated, but realistic, environment.
"Other than the fact that a dummy's body doesn't feel the same as a person's body, the dummies are very realistic," said Spc. Brian Wright, HHC, 1st -12th CAV, and a native of Killeen, Texas.
"[Working with the dummies] is good training because it gives us a chance to see how we would react in a combat situation," added Woestman.
"Most of the dummies have multiple wounds, which is something we will see in country," he added. "We have to react and find those wounds quickly so we can properly treat the patient."
"The dummies are a good source of training because it puts the Soldier in a position to react and teaches them how to work fast," he said.
The Soldiers, when they approach a casualty, treat wounds which are most threatening first, being monitored by trainers throughout the process. Once the wounds have been treated, the evaluation ends and the review begins.
"This [class] is not Hollywood," said Brent Cloud, senior trainer for the class and a native of Oakdale, La.
"In movies you've got special fog and glory music playing while Soldiers are in combat," he continued. "In every battle I had been in, there was no fog or great music blasting in the back. I only had my patient, myself and my thoughts."
"I had to save their life," Cloud said. "That's why I don't do the Hollywood thing in here -- this is real."
"These are the issues Soldiers will be facing in combat and this class makes sure they are ready -- and they are," he said.
| Date Taken: | 10.11.2006 |
| Date Posted: | 10.29.2006 09:10 |
| Story ID: | 8174 |
| Location: | CAMP BUERHING, KW |
| Web Views: | 243 |
| Downloads: | 141 |
This work, Cav. Soldiers Face Real-Life Medical Training, by SPC Ryan Stroud, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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