Subscribe
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — From the classroom to hands-on casualty scenarios, Airmen assigned to the 145th Medical Group strengthened their medical capabilities during a Tactical Combat Casualty Care Tier 2 course and Tier 3 course at the Charlotte Air National Guard Base, Charlotte, N.C., Aug. 3-12, 2026.
The courses trained Airmen in two roles within the TCCC Tier 2 and Tier 3 framework: combat lifesaver and combat medic/corpsman, respectively. The Tier 2 intermediate course builds on Tier 1 by expanding instruction on basic life-saving interventions until medical personnel arrive, and Tier 3 focuses on advanced medical care for traumatic injuries. Students received classroom instruction before applying medical care through casualty scenarios for combat and contingency operations.
“The primary objective of the courses is for our Airmen to feel confident in going out to the battlefield and doing what they need to do to save lives,” said Senior Airman Melanie Hombirg, 145th Airlift Wing TCCC program manager. “Knowing what they can do to help save a life gives them a fighting chance of survival.”
Students trained using the MARCH PAWS approach, which guides the assessment and treatment of life-threatening injuries, including massive bleeding, airway and respiratory concerns, circulation, head injuries, hypothermia, pain, antibiotics, wounds and splinting.
The training also challenged Airmen to adapt their clinical knowledge to medical situations where resources and the environment differ from a clinic.
“TCCC is pre-hospital medicine,” said Tech. Sgt. Mallory Coolidge, 145th MDG TCCC instructor candidate. "What we learn in technical school is hospital medicine, where you have all different equipment to use to help somebody. TCCC is pre-hospital and has different levels of training.”
Coolidge added that developing the ability to provide medical care with limited resources also increased their confidence in a traditional clinical environment.
While TCCC builds on students’ prior medical expertise, the training is not limited to Airmen specialized in certain medical fields.
“The Airmen that are in this class are not all in the aerospace medical service career field,” said Hombirg. “They are the unit’s administrators, dentists, dental assistants and bio-environmentals.”
Through classroom instruction, hands-on training and casualty scenarios, it continues to develop Airmen, ensuring they are prepared to apply lifesaving skills on the battlefield.
| Date Taken: | 08.17.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 08.21.2026 14:20 |
| Story ID: | 572989 |
| Location: | CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 15 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 145th Medical Group sharpens TCCC skills, by SrA Zeno Kang, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
