Photo By 1st Lt. Marcus Matthews-Marion | An Army Reserve Sergeant and medial evaluator looks on as a Soldier demonstrates...... read more read more
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GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas — Thanks to 19 individuals and four certified trainers, a resident Dallas-Fort Worth U.S. Army Reserve unit will be more equipped to save the lives of fellow uniformed members and civilians than ever.
The almost two dozen Soldiers from the 300th Sustainment Brigade completed the Combat Lifesaver Course, which is nearly a calendar week of grueling instruction with written and physical examinations administered by a certified 68W Combat Medial Specialist. The course is the bridge between the basic lifesaving skills that Soldiers receive during basic training and the more intensive training taught to combat medics.
It is a staple of the U.S. military training diet because, with it, Soldiers can treat casualties prior to the medic's arrival.
“If they pass the physical assessment tomorrow, they will be CLS qualified,” said Spc. Jonathan Saffle, a medical specialist with the 300th SB, Tuesday afternoon.
He paused mid-sentence, wiped sweat away from his brow, and issued commands to a group diagnosing their patients under a searing hot Texas sun.
Some were applying tourniquets. Others were applying pressure dressings to wounds according to practice test guidelines.
Saffle allowed a slight smirk to cross his features and explained why CLS is important regardless of what Military Occupational Specialty a Soldier has.
“It’s important because medics can’t always save Soldiers’ lives because of battlefield needs," he continued. "These Soldiers need to be able to administer basic triage and life-saving techniques to sustain life until we can get the injured to a medical center.”
The five-day course consists of 40 hours of blended classroom and hands-on training given by certified combat medics. On the final day, students take a written exam. After the exam, they are taken outside to perform mock scenarios as a culminating experience.
Upon successful completion of the course, the Soldier is certified for one year and an annual recertification is required.
The value of a CLS extends beyond their role while in combat. As the Army changes, updates and improvements are made to the Combat Lifesaver Course.
“When it comes to the survivability of battlefield injuries, CLS trained Soldiers have exponentially increased the probability of keeping Soldiers alive to reach higher levels of care,” said 1st Lt. Erik Wilson, the brigade’s medical operations officer. “Historically, Soldiers that survived the original wound had an 80 percent chance of survival. That chance is in the high 90s now and the CLS program has a lot to do with that.”
The 300th Sustainment Brigade is a part of the 4th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary). The command is made up of Soldiers, civilians and their families in units headquartered throughout Texas, New Mexico, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. As part of America’s Army Reserve, these units are trained, combat-ready and equipped to provide military and logistical support in any corner of the globe.
| Date Taken: | 08.22.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 08.26.2018 15:12 |
| Story ID: | 290341 |
| Location: | GRAND PRAIRIE, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 116 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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