- Reaction score
- 63
- Points
- 530
A great move by TRADOC that will be an asset to the platoon medic in the event of large numbers of casualties or in the event the medic is a casualty.
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/06/army_combatlifesaver_070602w/Boot camps certify combat lifesavers
By Gina Cavallaro - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Jun 2, 2007 11:26:41 EDT
Recruits in basic training are now being certified as combat lifesavers, giving them the ability to render a higher level of critical care on the battlefield.
The more advanced medical training and certification began at Fort Knox, Ky., and Fort Sill, Okla., with a class of basic trainees that started May 15.
Beginning June 15, Combat Lifesavers Course certification will be part of the program of instruction at Fort Jackson, S.C., Fort Benning, Ga., and Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., according to Col. Kevin Shwedo, chief of staff for operations at Training and Doctrine Command.
The CLS certification training for new soldiers was something field commanders had requested, but didn’t have great hopes they would get, he said.
The TRADOC surgeon looked at the training and pointed out that by adding 5-1/2 hours to the 22 hours of first aid training the new soldiers were getting, the minimum requirements to certify combat lifesavers would be met.
“So all of a sudden we gave the field something they requested that they didn’t really think would be able to be done in basic training,” Shwedo said.
“We realized that the TRAODC surgeon could rewrite the training support package at pretty minimal cost and get us a certified combat lifesaver at the end of the day, rather than a soldier who can react to an immediate requirement,” he said.
The training support package was approved in February and basic training posts just had to wait for training dummies, supplies and instructor medics. Knox and Sill began in May because their supplies arrived early.
The expectation is that 95 percent of basic trainees will attain certification, even though all will be required to go through CLS training.
Brigade commanders will be able to graduate soldiers who have not been certified, but, he said, certification may end up being a requirement after the training is re-evaluated in six months.
The level of medical instruction in basic training has, until now, been limited to first aid skills such identifying an injury, treating a patient for shock, stopping bleeding and splinting a fracture.
With the introduction of CLS training, new soldiers will be certified to:
• evaluate a casualty.
• manage an airway.
• control bleeding.
• treat burns.
• establish a saline lock and start intravenous infusion.
• evacuate a casualty
• perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
• administer a nerve agent antidote.
• splint a fracture.
• perform field sanitation and preventative medicine.
“From a psychological standpoint this is a great thing for each of those soldiers. They know they can take care of their buddies, that they’ve got the skill set and a certain amount of confidence and self-esteem comes from that,” Shwedo said. “And, the soldiers know that everyone of their buddies is capable of doing the same thing if they get hurt.”
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/06/army_combatlifesaver_070602w/Boot camps certify combat lifesavers
By Gina Cavallaro - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Jun 2, 2007 11:26:41 EDT
Recruits in basic training are now being certified as combat lifesavers, giving them the ability to render a higher level of critical care on the battlefield.
The more advanced medical training and certification began at Fort Knox, Ky., and Fort Sill, Okla., with a class of basic trainees that started May 15.
Beginning June 15, Combat Lifesavers Course certification will be part of the program of instruction at Fort Jackson, S.C., Fort Benning, Ga., and Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., according to Col. Kevin Shwedo, chief of staff for operations at Training and Doctrine Command.
The CLS certification training for new soldiers was something field commanders had requested, but didn’t have great hopes they would get, he said.
The TRADOC surgeon looked at the training and pointed out that by adding 5-1/2 hours to the 22 hours of first aid training the new soldiers were getting, the minimum requirements to certify combat lifesavers would be met.
“So all of a sudden we gave the field something they requested that they didn’t really think would be able to be done in basic training,” Shwedo said.
“We realized that the TRAODC surgeon could rewrite the training support package at pretty minimal cost and get us a certified combat lifesaver at the end of the day, rather than a soldier who can react to an immediate requirement,” he said.
The training support package was approved in February and basic training posts just had to wait for training dummies, supplies and instructor medics. Knox and Sill began in May because their supplies arrived early.
The expectation is that 95 percent of basic trainees will attain certification, even though all will be required to go through CLS training.
Brigade commanders will be able to graduate soldiers who have not been certified, but, he said, certification may end up being a requirement after the training is re-evaluated in six months.
The level of medical instruction in basic training has, until now, been limited to first aid skills such identifying an injury, treating a patient for shock, stopping bleeding and splinting a fracture.
With the introduction of CLS training, new soldiers will be certified to:
• evaluate a casualty.
• manage an airway.
• control bleeding.
• treat burns.
• establish a saline lock and start intravenous infusion.
• evacuate a casualty
• perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
• administer a nerve agent antidote.
• splint a fracture.
• perform field sanitation and preventative medicine.
“From a psychological standpoint this is a great thing for each of those soldiers. They know they can take care of their buddies, that they’ve got the skill set and a certain amount of confidence and self-esteem comes from that,” Shwedo said. “And, the soldiers know that everyone of their buddies is capable of doing the same thing if they get hurt.”
