Trauma Casualty Care Course provides lifesaving knowledge

Photo By Tech. Sgt. Christopher Ruano | U.S. Army Spc. Joseph Baer, Defense Medical Readiness Training Institute instructor, uses U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Zebulun Hart, 790th Missile Security Forces Squadron convoy response force member, to show a body drag to members of the 790th MSFS during a Trauma Casualty Care Course on F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo., March 3, 2017. Several drag and carry techniques were taught to the Airmen to better help them in situations where a member of their team needs to be pulled away quickly to better apply lifesaving skills. The Defense Medical Readiness Training Institute hosted the course. DMTRI is a tri-service organization that offers both resident and non-resident joint medical readiness training courses across the military. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Christopher Ruano)  

FRANCIS E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, WY, UNITED STATES

03.03.2017

Story by Staff Sgt. Christopher Ruano 

90th Missile Wing

Members of the 90th Medical group and 790th Missile Security Forces Squadron participated in a Trauma Casualty Care Course (TC3) held here by members of the Defense Medical Readiness Training Institute from Feb. 28 - March 3.

DMRTI is a tri-service organization staffed by professionals from the U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force. The command is located at Fort Sam Houston, Texas and offers both resident and non-resident joint medical readiness training courses as well as professional medical programs for more than 4,000 students per year in Trauma Care, Burn Care, Disaster Preparedness, Humanitarian Assistance and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Enhanced Conventional Weapons Preparation and Response.

“During our time here we taught the TC3 course to the medical personnel and security forces to better prepare them to be combat ready at providing casualty care either in the missile field or if in a deployed location,” said Tara McCraw, DMRTI trauma coordinator. “If they don’t have a medic on scene, they can take care of the situation themselves.”

Airmen from the 90th Medical Group participated in a more in depth two-day course to certify them in TC3, while the defenders were split up into two one-day courses.

“The training here is highly important because these Airmen are here to defend the vast amount of space in the missile field,” said Staff Sgt. Leonard Bailey, DMRTI instructor. “Even though we are in the heartland of the United States, an enemy threat is always a possibility. If something were to ever happen, these Airmen need to know how to properly take care of their comrades to their left and right.”

Lifesaving skills such as dressing wounds, applying splints, using combat gauze, proper use of tourniquets, nasopharyngeal airway training as well as body drag and carries were taught during the course.

“As part of the military, we all need to have some medical understanding because you don’t know what situation you will find yourself in the world,” Bailey said. “Prior to joining the military, I didn’t have any medical background. This is good information for these Airmen to have. It provides a basis for everyone to build upon, and as long as they have these basic skills, everyone in the unit can be depended on.”

The 790th MSFS was grateful for the hands on training they received from the DMRTI team.

“The course has been very informative, and was a lot more in depth than Self Aid Buddy Care,” said Senior Airman Mario Ricardo, 790th MSFS convoy member. “The hands on practice is what I think we needed the most instead of just seeing the techniques on PowerPoint slides.”

Ricardo added that training opportunities like this are important because they give the defenders a different perspective outside of what is in their unit. The instructors have been very helpful and very detailed in their explaining. I think we should do this more often, he said.

• Date Taken: 03.03.2017
• Date Posted: 03.29.2017 16:07
• Story ID: 228525
• Location: FRANCIS E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, WY, US