Combat life savers | Killing the game

Photo By Cpl. Alexia Lythos | Petty Officer 1 Marlon Sammy, the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing representative for the Tactical Medical Simulation Center, poses in front of an exhibit, Feb. 16, 2018, Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan. The TMSC offers a three day training designed to hone service members’ critical thinking, tactical combat care skills and meet diverse medical requirements while operating within the Pacific region. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Alexia Lythos)  

OKINAWA, JAPAN

02.26.2018

Story by Lance Cpl. Alexia Lythos 

1st Marine Aircraft Wing   

The Tactical Medical Simulation Center, a III Marine Expeditionary Force asset, is located on Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan. It offers a three day training designed to hone service-members’ critical thinking, tactical combat care skills and meet III MEF’s diverse medical requirements while operating within the Pacific region. With a motto of “Eliminating preventable deaths on the battlefield”, the center provides the latest evidence-based combat medicine practices to as many Marines and Sailors as possible.

“Our mission is to provide expeditionary and combat trauma management training to all U.S. Armed Forces and the Japanese Self Defense Force,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Marlon C. Sammy, the 1st MAW representative for the TMSC. “The simulation center primarily provides professional training to certify Marines as Combat Life Savers and corpsmen as Tactical Combat Casualty Care [providers].”

The basic equipment used at the medical simulation center includes the individual first aid kit, combat life saver bag and corpsman assault pack. Medical trauma simulations are aided by life-like interactive mannequins that bleed and breathe on their own. The combined educational training and equipment provides an insightful learning experience to service members to deal with the most intense and tragic battlefield trauma.

“Another layer to this training is that it builds the grit of our combat life savers and allows them to maintain their professionalism and adaptability in a combat environment while maintaining their warrior spirit to continue fighting and winning,” said Sammy.

Due to the quality of the training at the TMSC, classes are in high demand. The center however operates on a first come, first serve basis with training priorities given to hand selected Overseas Contingency Operations and Expeditionary Operations Training Group personnel.

“The training provided here affords our warriors to be prepared for the certainty and uncertainty of combat through a visceral learning experience and it allows them to medically respond on the battlefield,” added Sammy.

The TMSC offers students realistic and complex combat casualty scenarios under stressful situations to fine tune their skills with hands-on application of medical interventions and treatments while eliminating the risk for actual injuries or death through unintentional errors. The course culminates in a final test of aptitude and agility as they race to clear and treat a room full of simulated but realistic battle wounds.

“This experience is also important because it’s in line with the 1st MAW Commanding General’s tenets of skilled, smart, and strong,” said Sammy. “All of the training provided here to America’s service members gives every student the opportunity to be just that: skilled, smart, and strong.”

• Date Taken: 02.26.2018
• Date Posted: 02.27.2018 20:27
• Story ID: 267114
• Location: OKINAWA, JP