Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Shane Klestinski | Soldiers assigned to the 927th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion (CSSB) simulate...... read more read more
Approximately 30 Soldiers from the Florida Army National Guard’s 50th Regional Support Group (RSG) accepted the challenge to become combat life savers (CLS) during their annual training (AT) at Camp Blanding, Florida, in June 2023.
Soldiers assigned to the 50th RSG’s 927th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion (CSSB), based in Camp Blanding, and the 856th Quartermaster Company from Arcadia, Florida, trained alongside Soldiers of the 53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT) in a 40-hour course to achieve their CLS certification.
Instructors from the 53rd IBCT taught the intense course that met over four days.
“Our medics usually teach ground-pounders, but adding the RSG folks created a neat dynamic to this class,” said Sgt. 1st Class Richard McAlister, medical platoon sergeant assigned to the 1/153rd Cavalry, and one of the course’s instructors. “My medics got to experience different subcultures found in the Army’s other military occupational specialties (MOS). Also, the RSG guys – who usually work support roles – got a good refresher on basic infantry concepts like shooting, moving and communicating, in addition to the CLS content.”
Throughout the course, CLS students regularly received practical, hands-on experience employing medical techniques shortly after a classroom period of instruction.
“We break up the teaching so the class isn’t ‘death by PowerPoint,’” McAlister said. “Students have a block of instruction, then go get their hands dirty, another block of instruction, then they go outside and practice again, and so on.”
Spc. Jennifer Joseph, a signal support system specialist assigned to the 927th CSSB, said that the hands-on portions of the class were “amazing,” and she enjoyed the step-by-step instruction of the different life-saving procedures. Joseph is scheduled to deploy on the Texas border mission soon.
“No one was left behind,” Joseph said. “The instructors made sure everyone knew what they were doing, and if something occurs [in Texas], I’m confident I’ll be prepared to help my battle buddies with the training I’ve received. Everyone should get certified for this training.”
The four-day class culminated with a final assessment on June 11, 2023. Test-out scenarios required students to lead small groups while observing “care under fire” principles to rescue a wounded comrade. Upon arriving on the scene, students took emergency medical action after instructors presented initial scenarios, dragged wounded Soldiers to tactical field care areas for reassessment, and provided further care to stabilize patients as necessary.
As the scenarios continued, Soldiers placed their patients into a “Sked,” a light-weight stretcher weighing roughly eight pounds, which is unrolled to evacuate wounded people and commonly used by search-and-rescue professionals. After teams moved their patient to a second, safer area, instructors assessed team leaders as they simulated calling in a nine-line medevac request for air assets to transport the wounded Soldier. Finally, the leader provided a “MIST” (mechanism/medical complaint, illness/injury, signs/symptoms, treatments) report to ensure a successful treatment handoff.
McAlister noted that no one can predict what situations his students may have to deal with in the future, and the physical traumas they may see won’t necessarily be bullet wounds. Soldiers aren’t always injured on the battlefield, and an HR specialist is a prime target for artillery if an enemy force identifies a rear-area headquarters location. McAlister said it’s feasible that a Soldier could be typing awards paperwork on a laptop one moment, and a keyboard could be embedded in a buddy’s leg the next.
“We take scenarios and tailor them to a Soldier’s individual MOS,” McAlister said. “If you’re a cook, somebody might accidentally pour scalding liquid on their leg, and suddenly you’re dealing with a third-degree burn. Breaking the material down into what the Soldiers actually do in the Army helps them engage with the content because they can relate it to their jobs. When they get back to their units, they tend to become a better steward of safety.”
The applications of CLS training beyond a military context were not lost on students.
“People think this skill set is just for combat, but it’s invaluable for everyday life,” said Army Sgt. Nicole Sively, a supply specialist assigned to the 927th CSSB. “You might come across a car accident, someone could get injured at [your civilian] work, and it can be great for self-care.”
Sively has been CLS-certified for most of her time in the Guard and has been to previous training sessions. She said the four-day course was the longest she’d ever attended in maintaining that certification and considers it an invaluable skill set, especially in a hurricane-prone area like Florida.
“When hurricanes hit, infrastructure and transportation get taken out, and not everybody gets a chance to evacuate,” Sively said. “Having this knowledge enables people to help their families, their neighbors, or anyone in that immediate area who gets hurt before emergency medical people can arrive.”
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| Date Taken: | 06.11.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 06.19.2023 10:02 |
| Story ID: | 447210 |
| Location: | CAMP BLANDING, FL, US |
| Web Views: | 93 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, 50th RSG Soldiers become combat life savers during AT, by SFC Shane Klestinski, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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