352nd CACOM Prepares for Combat with Combat Lifesaver Training

Photo By Master Sgt. Naurys Marte | Soldiers with the 352nd CACOM attend combat lifesaver training during annual training 2017, July 19th, 2017 to July 21st, 2017.  

FORT MEADE, MD, UNITED STATES

07.22.2017

Story by Sgt. 1st Class Naurys Marte 

352nd Civil Affairs Command

At the combat lifesaver course, Soldiers learn that on the battlefield around 90 percent of combat deaths occur before the casualty can reach a medical facility. Although some deaths are inevitable in combat, CLS-trained Soldiers can help reduce combat deaths by treating conditions such as bleeding from a wound, tension pneumothorax, and clearing the airway.

“The CLS course echoes the importance of how much blood you can lose; the use of a tourniquet will buy you time and although there might be a possible amputation later on, at least the Soldier will live,” said U.S. Army Reserve Maj. Rick Bell, Public Health Nurse with the 352nd Civil Affairs Command.

Most units have qualified Army medical personnel, but on the battlefield, combat medics are outnumbered by the Soldiers they can possibly treat, and they may not be on location to treat an injured Soldier. The Army has estimated that 15 to 18 percent of combat deaths can be reduced with proper use of first-aid, buddy-aid and CLS skills. Combat lifesavers play an important role closing this critical gap.

To assist combat medics, Soldiers must maintain their proficiency in combat lifesaving skills. The 352nd Civil Affairs Command provided a 3-day certification course during annual training, with the assistance of the 48th Combat Support Hospital to Soldiers, whether they will be mobilizing or not.

Because the Army requires at least one Soldier be certified combat lifesaver per squad, it is a command’s priority to maintain certified CLS Soldiers in the unit. Moreover, according to Army Field Manual 4-02.4, combat lifesaver tasks are perishable skills and therefore combat lifesavers must be recertified every 12 months on the performance-tested tasks in the CLS course.

CLS skills are secondary to a Soldier’s assigned mission and intended for use in combat; however, the skills may be applied to soldiers in non-combat situations. “There are aspects of this training which I can use in my civilian life. If I see someone hemorrhaging then I can help stop the bleeding using skills I’ve learned in this class,” said Spc. Tricia R. Saint-Felix, Intelligence Analyst with the 352 CACOM.

• Date Taken: 07.22.2017
• Date Posted: 09.21.2017 19:29
• Story ID: 249177
• Location: FORT MEADE, MD, US