FORT CARSON, Colo. — Capt. Morgan Jackson, a flight surgeon, instructs Pfc. Janel Railsback, a combat medic, both with 6th Attack Reconnaissance Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, on medical equipment Aug. 20, 2021, during a medical casualty simulation at the Medical Simulation Training Center. Manikins controlled by an instructor are used to change things such as breathing and blood pressure to show the changes a casualty can make in a short amount of time. (Photo by Capt. Jake Valdick)
“This detail is really important because it helps me stay current on the tactical combat casualty care because the guidance changes every year.”
— Sgt. Jameson Choi
By Sgt. Sidnie Smith-Swift
4th Combat Aviation Brigade Public Affairs Office, 4th Infantry Division
FORT CARSON, Colo. — Soldiers from 6th Attack Reconnaissance Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, participated in medical trauma training at the Medical Simulation Training Center (MSTC).
FORT CARSON, Colo. — Capt. Chelsea Taylor, left, a physician’s assistant, and Sgt. Matthew Holtz, a combat medic, both with 6th Attack Reconnaissance Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, work together to administer medications into an IV fluid bag Aug. 20, 2021. Medical personnel in a Role 1 environment have limited supplies of equipment since they are not near a hospital. (Photo by Capt. Jake Valdick)
The Soldiers will be supporting the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Inf. Div., on an upcoming rotation to the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California.
The MSTC staff offer courses such as combat lifesaver to medical specific courses such as international trauma life support.
Capt. Morgan Jackson, a flight surgeon with Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 6th ARS, 17th Cav. Reg., said trauma training is important for deployed medical personnel.
“By residency training, I am family medicine,” Jackson said. “Every provider in the Army needs to be prepared for trauma care.”
During the training at the MSTC, Jackson and his Soldiers trained on Role 1, which in trauma care, is the first line of medical providers. Units who experience casualties would conduct basic combat lifesaving and transport the injured person to the nearest Role 1 station. These Role 1 stations are designed to be more mobile than other medical treatment areas.
Sgt. Jameson Choi, a combat medic with 4th Squadron, 10th Cav. Reg., 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Inf. Div., who is currently assigned to work at the MSTC, said the MSTC retrains about 2,500 medics annually.
“This detail is really important because it helps me stay current on the tactical combat casualty care because the guidance changes every year,” Choi said.
The MSTC also recertifies combat medics on their EMT certifications, which is a nationally recognized certification.
Jackson said the Role 1 training helps his Soldiers learn how chaotic a trauma unit can be with multiple patients and few medical providers.
“When things get crazy, believe me you need every hand,” he said. “This training helps solidify things the junior Soldiers learned briefly at (their Advanced Individual Training).”
The realistic scenarios include working medical equipment such as ventilators and oxygen tanks, manikins that can provide medical feedback, and fake blood to help the medical providers learn and move in a chaotic environment.