Iraqi police graduate medic training at Forward Operating Base Delta

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Joe Thompson | An Iraqi policeman assigned to the Special Medical Unit starts an intravenous catheter during the final testing day during the three-week medic training course on Forward Operating Base Delta.  

AL KUT, IRAQ

04.23.2009

Story by Sgt. 1st Class Joe Thompson 

Multi-National Division-Central

FORWARD OPERATING BASE DELTA, Iraq — When the Wasit Provincial Director of Police asked the 41st Fires Brigade for some help training their medics, Task Force Gunner Med stepped up to the plate to provide assistance.

Based on the Army's Combat Life Saver Course, 10 Iraqi police medics learned about: triage, the three echelons of tactical field care, treating shock, abdominal wounds, chest wounds, fractures, burns, clearing airways and breathing and circulation during a three-week medic course at Forward Operating Base Delta recently.

"It's very important to increase our information in medical training," said IP Sgt. Deyaa Hasham, IP Special Medical Unit. "We learned a lot of information that is really beneficial to save a lot of lives and we learned a lot about the care under fire and evacuating a casualty. We really learned a lot."

Not only did the course help the IPs learn how to be better medics, but also a greater appreciation for being medics, according to the class leader.

"I believe that my Soldiers have more concern about the mission as they deal with the patients because they learned the important things about triage and they learned a lot of information," said IP Staff Sgt. Karrar Ali, IP Special Medical Unit and class leader. "The course was perfect."

The instructor for the course was impressed with the IP medics.

"They're excellent; they already know a lot and so the classes have been going really well," said medic Spc. Krystal Smith, Company C, 589th Brigade Support Battalion. "The people who do know stuff are willing to share with the people that aren't quite as experienced and they always have answers to my questions."

The last part of the course tested the medics' ability to start an intravenous catheter. Each medic successfully started an IV, which was a critical skill required to graduate the course.

The medics also received all of the materials used in the course so that they can go back to their unit and train other medics as part of the train-the-trainer program.

"I hope that they continue to train each other and continue to practice the skills I'm teaching them so they will be perfectly effective when the situation happens when they are needed," said Smith, of Griffin, Ga.

After the medics completed the IV practical exercise, they were awarded certificates of achievement for completing the medic training course.

The 10 IP medics graduated from the course April 16.

• Date Taken: 04.23.2009
• Date Posted: 04.23.2009 03:41
• Story ID: 32748
• Location: AL KUT, IQ