KANDAHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan - Thirty Afghan national policemen graduated from an eight-week trauma assistant medic course, March 28, at the Joint Regional Afghan National Police Center in southern Afghanistan.
This was the fifth TAMC taught at the JRAC since the program started in May last year. It’s also the last one conducted with assistance from coalition advisers like Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Adam Harman, a U.S. Navy reservist deployed from the Naval Operational Support Center in Decatur, Ill.
Harman was a lead medical training adviser to the Afghan TAMC instructors. He says he has received a profound sense of pride and achievement from advising his Afghan counterparts.
“My experience working with our Afghan partners has been a true pleasure,” expressed Harman, a Lincoln, Ill. native who was on his first deployment. “The students came to class every day motivated and ready to learn and the instructors kept the students interested by incorporating fun into the training.”
“My sincere hope for this course is that it will continue to be successful for years to come,” continued Harman, who has worked with the Afghan TAMC staff for five months. “I believe it will continue on because the Afghan instructors have a deep drive to produce top quality medics.”
Capable instructors, such as Pvt. Abdul Khaliq, are one reason why Afghan National Police training managers at the JRAC agreed to take the lead on this program.
“I was a little nervous to be a teacher,” said Khaliq, who became an instructor after graduating with high honors in the second iteration of the course, “but, with support from the ANP staff and other instructors, teaching became easy. Now, I’m excited to teach other policemen this very important skill.”
“Having the advice and assistance from our coalition partners was great and really helpful,” Khaliq went on to say. “I will miss them.”
One of the policemen who graduated from the course was Pvt. Khalid, a 20-year-old Afghan Border Police patrolman, who joined the ANP force just three and a half months ago. He was chosen by ANP training staff to attend the TAMC after noticing his high academic performance in initial police training.
Khalid didn’t disappoint as he ranked No. 3 in his class.
“I didn’t have any problems learning the material,” said Khalid. “My favorite part of the course was learning how to use a tourniquet to prevent massive bleeding.”
“I’m very happy to have graduated today,” Khalid said after receiving his completion certificate. “At home, we don’t have any doctors, so not only can I use these skills at work, but at home, too.”
Six Afghan Border, seven Afghan Uniform and 17 Afghan National Civil Order policemen graduated from the course.
Some of the lessons taught were basic anatomy, rescue breathing and cardiopulmonary resuscitation, bleeding control and management, administering intravenous fluids, and treating chest, abdominal, head and spinal injuries.
The TAMC is the first sustainable medical course in the Kandahar province.
| Date Taken: |
03.28.2012 |
| Date Posted: |
03.29.2012 10:51 |
| Story ID: |
85954 |
| Location: |
KANDAHAR PROVINCE, AF |
| Web Views: |
52 |
| Downloads: |
0 |
PUBLIC DOMAIN
LEAVE A COMMENT