Soldiers with the 4th Sustainment Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, conduct a casualty assessment during their final evaluations of the combat lifesaver course Jan. 29, 2016. (Photo by Spc. Ashliy Sanchez )
By Sgt. Benjamin Kullman
4th Sustainment Brigade Public Affairs Office, 4th Infantry Division
Soldiers from the 4th Sustainment Brigade participated in a combat lifesaver (CLS) course Jan. 25-29 designed to increase their knowledge of essential lifesaving procedures they may be required to perform on the battlefield.
The course teaches the basics in battlefield casualty care, such as CPR, opening and managing airways, controlling bleeding, treating shock and requesting MedEvac. It consisted of 40 hours of classroom instruction, a written test and a practical evaluation.
“For a sustainment brigade of roughly 1,700 Soldiers we only have seven operational medics, so it’s imperative that we have CLS (trained Soldiers) within the platoons,” said Sgt. 1st Class Derek Vanbuskirk, 4th SB surgeon cell NCO in charge.
Due to the brigade’s operation tempo and the amount of teams that may need to be sent out at any given time, Vanbuskirk said it is not feasible to send a medic with each element.
“We are able to expand upon the basic skills,” he said. “We are able to dive in deep with the skills we teach so that people are comfortable with doing them.”
CLS is provided to all Soldiers, regardless of their rank, position, or current job since they may be required to render aid in the field.
Service members who have been in the Army for a number of years have seen many changes to the CLS curriculum. Notably among the changes is how first responders are now instructed on what to do first when tending to Soldiers who may be suffering from massive bleeding.
“We’ve stopped teaching how to start IVs. It was seen as the ‘coolest’ medical intervention taught during a CLS course, and thus it was the first thing Soldiers were doing for actual battlefield injuries as opposed to stopping massive hemorrhage first,” said Staff Sgt. Matthew West, DiRaimondo Soldier Centered Medical Home NCO in charge and one of the course instructors. “It was causing unnecessary delay in treating the acute life-threatening injury.”
An added emphasis in applying tourniquets to wounded Soldiers to assist with arterial bleeding has become a focus of CLS in recent years, noted Vanbuskirk.
This has been done in order to contribute to deterring the three preventable causes of death on the battlefield — bleeding from an extremity wound, airway compromise, and tension pneumothorax, a life-threatening condition that can occur with chest trauma involving an opening in the chest wall or a collapsed lung.
“We want people to be (as) comfortable putting that (nasopharyngeal airway) in as they are with pulling immediate action on their malfunctioning rifle,” said Vanbuskirk.
The first phase of the training usually consists of three days of classroom work and written exams followed by hands-on experience with training manikins or, in some cases, each other. Although some of the Soldiers who attend the training have little to no medical experience or background it doesn’t change the effectiveness of the training.
“(Military occupational specialties) don’t change the ability for Soldiers to retain knowledge,” said West. “Any additional knowledge retention is typically seen in units with a high level of esprit de corps. These units will work harder to learn the skills needed to save the life of a fellow battle buddy.”
During the final phase of the course, Soldiers are required to navigate their way through mock battlefield trauma scenarios where they are tested on their abilities to assess and treat casualties.
“The best measure of their skills by far are the trauma lanes,” said West. “No one will ever walk away after rendering lifesaving care and credit a written test for their knowledge base. It will be a result of learned muscle memory and confidence in performing simple lifesaving skills.”