North Carolina National Guard medics train Slovenian and Polish armed forces combat life saving

Photo By Staff Sgt. Erick Yates | U.S. Army Sgt. Benjamin Smith, Spc. Mark Fisher and Staff Sgt. Justin Hare, combat medics from 1st Combined Arms Battalion, 252nd Armor Regiment, currently assigned to Multinational Battle Group-East, pose for a photo with their Polish and Slovenian students after successfully completing a four-day combat lifesaver training, Aug. 20, 2015, at Camp Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny, Kosovo. The course was held to provide necessary combat lifesaver skills to multinational soldiers serving on NATO’s peace support mission in Kosovo. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Erick Yates, Multinational Battle Group-East)  

CAMP MARéCHAL DE LATTRE DE TASSIGNY, KOSOVO

08.20.2015

Story by Sgt. Erick Yates 

KFOR Regional Command East

CAMP BONDSTEEL, Kosovo – Polish and Slovenian soldiers serving in NATO’s Kosovo Force earned their certification in a four-day combat lifesaver class, Aug. 20, 2015, at Camp Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny, Kosovo.

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Justin Hare, Sgt. Benjamin Smith and Spc. Mark Fisher, medics from the 1st Combined Arms Battalion, 252nd Armor Regiment, out of Fayetteville, North Carolina, and currently assigned to MNBG-E’s Forward Command Post, conducted the class to certify the soldiers in first aid, hot- and cold-weather injury treatment, and lifesaving skills relevant to their peacekeeping mission in Kosovo.

“CLS is one the most important training classes to take while in Kosovo,” said Slovenian 1st Sgt. Ales Cvetek. “We train to stay ready as much as possible in addition to our assigned duties in Kosovo, but we try to take the time, when not on missions, to do available training like CLS.”

The four-day course concluded with a written exam and a hands-on exercise for treating patients in a mass-casualty scenario, held to test the soldiers’ performance in stressful, real-life situations.

“The reason why we teach a CLS program is because it has been proven to save lives,” Smith said. “Having CLS-trained soldiers in a unit is a force multiplier when it comes to having additional personnel on your team that can save lives.”

After the Slovenian and Polish Soldiers received their CLS, Smith mentioned how impressed he was by the professionalism the soldiers displayed during the training.

“Working with other multinational soldiers for this type of training is a great way to build relationships and create a good learning experience,” Smith said.

• Date Taken: 08.20.2015
• Date Posted: 08.30.2015 06:21
• Story ID: 174686
• Location: CAMP MARéCHAL DE LATTRE DE TASSIGNY, ZZ