How to save a life

Photo By Spc. Travis Terreo | U.S. Army Spc. Michelle Goodman, a Soldier with the 470th Military Intelligence Battalion, performs a needle chest decompression on a training mannequin during the Basic Combat Lifesaver Course at Joint Base San Antonio - Camp Bullis December 10, 2015. During the course, cadre from the Medical Brigade Training Support Company guide students through five days of didactic and practical courses that teach them to administer basic lifesaving interventions in a battlefield setting. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Travis Terreo, 205th Press Camp Headquarters)  

SAN ANTONIO, TX, UNITED STATES

12.11.2015

Story by Pfc. Travis Terreo 

205th Theater Public Affairs Support Element

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO - CAMP BULLIS, Texas – As the siren blares, two Combat Lifesavers rush forth in an attempt to reach a simulated fallen comrade, weapons at the ready. The crack of rifle fire splits the air and both Soldiers dive to the ground, their weapons swinging around to engage the threat. Bedlam reigns in the ensuing minutes as they continue to return fire, communicate with one another and attempt to communicate with the casualty. Finally, the Soldiers drive the enemy away and are able to approach, only to find their simulated fellow Soldier riddled with shrapnel and gunshot wounds, a severed right arm lying a foot away. Amid the squirting blood and trembling flesh that is the casualty, the Combat Lifesavers go to work.

Soldiers from several units attended a basic Combat Lifesaver course hosted by the Medical Brigade Training Support Company at Camp Bullis. The course spanned 5 days starting Dec. 7, 2015, and ended when the participants, armed with paintball guns, went through a practical application lane and treated a simulated casualty before taking a written test.

“The purpose is to instill proficiency in basic medical skills that all Soldiers need to know on the battlefield, in garrison and for range support,” said Staff Sgt. Cody Blackmon, a team leader with the TSC and the course's lead instructor. “It's an effective course and it is absolutely necessary.”

According to the CLS manual, produced by the Army Institute for Professional Development, the basic CLS course was created because the Army recognized the fact that combat medics cannot be everywhere all of the time. Like everything in combat, battlefield medical practices are constantly evolving and reacting to new, more modern weapons and tactics, and the injuries they cause. The current curriculum integrates the principles of Tactical Combat Casualty Care. Using this system, battlefield aid is broken down into three distinct phases with specifically designated treatments for each.

The Army Institute for Professional Development also states that 90 percent of combat deaths occur prior to the casualty reaching a medical treatment facility. Of that 90 percent, more than 18 percent expire due to bleeding from the arms and legs, penetrating chest wounds, or airway problems. It is estimated that between 15 and 18 percent of casualties that expire for those reasons could be saved if they are properly treated on the battlefield. TC3 was designed, and is periodically adjusted, with this in mind, making it an extremely effective methodology for battlefield treatment.

“As Soldiers, we have to look out for the battle buddies to our left and right. If someone goes down we should all be able to provide care for them,” said Spc. John Henderson, a Soldier with the 470th Military Intelligence Battalion. “When someone goes down you can't always wait for a medic. Now I can be there for them.”

The basic CLS course conducted by the Medical Brigade Training Support Command focuses on both didactic style learning and practical exercises. The early morning is filled with interactive indoor classes. As the afternoon rolls around the class moves outside and transitions into the practical exercise portion of the curriculum, during which they get to perform the techniques and treatments they learned that morning. This method of instruction prepares the Soldiers for both the written and practical exams at the end of the course.

“I have been through CLS before, but this course really made me more confident,” said Spc. Brittany Goodman, a Soldier with the 470th Military Intelligence Battalion. “I have so much more confidence with the 9-line MEDEVAC and also with the nasopharyngeal airway. I saw most of this stuff in my last class, but now I really feel confident using it.”

Though the concepts and practices of TC3 alone can mean the difference between life and death for many service members, attending the best CLS course available can mean the same for even more.

The high quality of instruction, allows students in the course to better retain the information, stated Blackmon. With the Camp Bullis CLS course, the cadre do everything in their power to cater to all learning styles as well as address the students on an individual level in order to ensure they all learn what they need to know.

“I have been doing CLS for 3 years,” said Spc. Giulio Aleppo, a healthcare specialist with the Medical Brigade Training Support Command. “Almost everyone who comes through says this is the best course they have had, and it is certainly the best one I've been involved in. We have a lot of land out here. We can run so many different lanes and scenarios to match whatever we need. We also have the equipment and means to make the lanes come to life. If you come out here, you are going to get great training.”

• Date Taken: 12.11.2015
• Date Posted: 12.18.2015 13:25
• Story ID: 184919
• Location: SAN ANTONIO, TX, US
• Hometown: SAN ANTONIO, TX, US