Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Shane Smith | U.S. Army Spc. Jeremy Shockey (left), an intelligence analyst assigned to Headquarters...... read more read more
FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. - Seventeen U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to the 55th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, Pennsylvania Army National Guard, completed a Combat Lifesaver (CLS) course during annual training at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa. June 18, 2024.
Army combat medic specialists are crucial for providing emergency medical care to injured Soldiers, triaging injuries to save lives and serving as first responders. However, in some cases, the first responder may not always be a certified medic. That's where CLS trained Soldiers come in.
The 40 hour CLS course prepares nonmedical Soldiers to provide advanced first aid and lifesaving procedures beyond what they learn during basic training. Certified combat medics provide CLS students with classroom and hands-on training. Students take a written exam and complete a culminating exercise involving mock scenarios on the final day of the course. Soldiers are certified as a CLS for one year upon successful completion of the course, and recertification is required annually.
"During the CLS course we teach students to treat casualties in the proper order, providing care to the most critical injuries first," said Staff Sgt. Jonathan Nicoletti, the primary instructor. "This is done using the acronyms MARCH and PAWS."
MARCH stands for massive hemorrhage, airway, respirations, circulation, and head injury/hypothermia. The acronym is used to help remember the proper order of treatment. PAWS stands for pain, antibiotics, wounds, and splinting, and is used to remember additional casualty care issues. Students trained on each of these topics during the duration of the course.
"As long as these CLS Soldiers can recognize medical emergencies, identify various conditions that a patient could be in, and provide the proper order of care based on those conditions, they're doing what we need them to do," said Spc. Addison Straub, assistant instructor.
Thirteen Soldiers assigned to Headquarters Support Company (HSC) and four Soldiers assigned to the 213th Signal Company, 55th Manevuer Enhancement Brigade completed the course.
"Participating in this course and getting certified as a CLS has definitely made me a better Soldier," said HSC's Spc. Jamie Zenker, a human resources specialist. "If there's a medical emergency and there's no one present with the medical expertise to provide care, that could result in a death. Now I'm confident that I can be the one to provide that care that's needed to treat casualties until a medic arrives."
The Soldiers that completed the CLS course come from a variety of career fields ranging from motor transport operators to combat engineers. Regardless of their backgrounds, they're all now CLS certified and are ready to provide the medical care needed of their units.
| Date Taken: | 06.18.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 06.18.2024 14:53 |
| Story ID: | 474297 |
| Location: | FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Web Views: | 171 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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Pennsylvania
Fort Indiantown Gap
Medical Training
Training
Army National Guard
