Courtesy Photo | Sgt. Mathew Miller, a native of Towson, Md., and a Soldier of 374th Financial...... read more read more
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Combat Life Savers, three small words, great task and a humbling responsibility. Since the inception of the Iraq War campaign on March 3, 2003 and until today the United States has had a fatality of service members totaling 4,245. Of these deaths, it is believed that 19% of them were preventable, which means that 807 Soldiers, Marines, Airmen, and Sailors could still be here with us today.
If the proper preventive methods were taken, 807 families would not have had to receive the dreaded notification that a loved one died. It is to this need that many unit commanders deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan want their Soldiers CLS qualified or to become qualified in theater. Not to be outdone and seeing the wisdom and necessity in preventive care this standard has branched out to all Armed Forces branches.
In January 2009, four Soldiers of the 374th Financial Management Company, 10th Sustainment Brigade Troops Battalion, 10th Sustainment Brigade participated in a CLS class instructed by Sgt. Nicholas Canale, a Fort Carson, Colo. native, and Staff Sgt. Jeremy G. Green, a native of Fort Carson, Colo. for the 10th Combat Support Hospital unit in the Baghdad, Iraq. Some of these Soldiers were taking the class for the first time others for recertification. Motto of the class was "Tourniquet, tourniquet, tourniquet!" As instructor, Canale pointed out, "Not all deaths are preventable, and you cannot save everybody!!" "This class is about getting you ready for the persons that you can aid. Giving you the skills needed, not to perform operations in the mist of battle, rather life saving techniques that can be used to aid the casualties, so they can make it back to a medical care professional."
The instructors went on with the daunting task of teaching the class of 15 Airmen and 4 Soldiers, the importance and necessity for CLS, the history behind the need for it, and the statistics of the loss and damage done to service members all do to the lack of preventive medical measures. While often mixing in humor to ease minds of personnel whom are not use to the blood and gore of the medical profession; Green, went on shared his own life altering experience and brush with death that brought home the need for the CLS classes.
Green went on to recap his time as medic in an Infantry Battalion, how on a routine mission, that went well and with no loss of life or injuries went totally in a different direction at the last second. "The unit I was in was done with its mission, and we were in our trucks heading back to the base and literally about 150-200 meters from the gate the lead vehicle is hit by a suicide bomber in a car." "I was in the vehicle behind it!" He further went on to say, that the last vehicle had another bomber approaching it and was stopped by the Soldiers of that vehicle when they opened fire upon it, killing the driver. The amazement of the story was the fact that only three Soldiers had died that day and all of those that lived through the explosion could say they did so, because of properly trained Soldiers who had gave them first aid that allowed them to make it back to medical care professionals.
After the completion of the class, first time CLS graduate, Sgt. Cody Smith, a native of Lock Haven, Pa., stated, "I now understand the need for CLS greater and the knowledge is useful in both civilian and military life. 'Tourniquet, tourniquet, tourniquet' was the class motto, but the tip is to keep one on you at all times, so you'll be prepared to aid a brother in arms or a civilian casualty. The Army provides you with a Combat Application Tourniquet, keep it in your lower pocket!"
| Date Taken: | 03.03.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 03.03.2009 05:08 |
| Story ID: | 30660 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 284 |
| Downloads: | 228 |
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