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Story by Sgt. Edward V. Lee, Task Force Southern Castle Public Affairs Representative NCOIC
Introducing the life savers, Spc. Lafredrick Coleman and Spc. Cherikea Patterson, 168th Theater Engineer Brigade combat medical specialists. They bring a unique skill set and trade to the Task Force Southern Castle team. Coleman, from Cleveland, Mississippi, began his studies recently at Alcorn State University in pre-nursing. Patterson, from Olive Branch, Mississippi, is dual-enrolled in school at Northwest Community College, pursuing a degree in paramedics and preparing to apply for the Interservice Physician Assistant Program (IPAP).
Coleman joined the military in November 2018, and Patterson joined in June 2017. They both currently serve in the brigade as a 68W (68 Whiskey), known as a combat medical specialist or health care specialist.
When not in uniform, they both work in the medical field as Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs). Patterson works for for an ambulance company in Oxford, Mississippi and Coleman is employed with emergency medical services. One would think the medical field on both military and civilian sides would be parallel to one another. However, that is not quite the case according to Patterson and Coleman.
“The only parallel we have on both sides is that we work in the medical field," said Coleman. "On the civilian side, we do a small amount of what we get to do on the National Guard side. We have a bigger scope of things we're able to do medically on the guard side, for example, different interventions and the level of care we can provide."
Looking from the outside, an individual who serves as a first responder on the civilian side would be able to apply those same skills to the warfighting and military side of the medical field. Both explained that the civilian side has a lot of restraints and constraints on what they can do in their jobs on the military side.
"Both sides help fuel each other; I learned a lot on the ambulance from the medics as far as their use of medications and the different interventions that they do," said Patterson. "As an EMT on the civilian side, we can't do as much, but it's still good training that's easily transferable."
Although the medical fields between the civilian and military sides differ, it helps improve the Army Medical Corps and personnel strength even more. Both agreed that being an EMT makes them better medics in the field. Some experience is better than no experience. Coleman and Patterson are very talented and gifted in what they do in their everyday lives. Both have a strong passion for saving people's lives, no matter if they are in uniform or not. These combat medics at heart have a love for the discipline of medicine, healing, and humanity.
| Date Taken: | 05.25.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 07.28.2023 03:11 |
| Story ID: | 449328 |
| Location: | CAMP BUEHRING, KW |
| Web Views: | 25 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, The Life Savers: Combat Medics at Heart and War, by SGT Edward Lee, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
