Photo By Sgt. Cheryl Madolev | Multinational soldiers assigned to Regional Command-East of the NATO-led Kosovo Force...... read more read more
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The NATO mission in Kosovo is unique in that it provides the opportunity for soldiers of many nationalities to live and work together in support of a peacekeeping operation. In order to effectively accomplish the Kosovo Force mission, also known as KFOR, many countries must be able to seamlessly work together.
It is especially important that troops are trained for medical emergencies. KFOR’s U.S. contingent hosted a Tactical Combat Casualty Care - Combat Lifesaving course, or TCCC-CLS, in Camp Novo Selo, Kosovo, and invited all Allied and partner nations to attend. The training took place Jan. 13-18, 2025, with soldiers assigned to KFOR Regional Command-East, or RC-E, representing seven different countries.
The RC-E Maneuver Battalion Medical Operations Officer, U.S. Army Capt. Jessica Campbell, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Oregon Army National Guard, organized the event and knows how important it is to the KFOR mission to cross-train with NATO Allies and partners.
“All KFOR nations come to Kosovo with different medical backgrounds and equipment,” said Campbell. “Familiarity with other nations’ equipment and medical procedures could save time in an emergency. This time saved may be the difference between a patient living or dying.”
The course was conducted primarily for non-medical military personnel to train on basic first aid and lifesaving interventions. However, experienced medical soldiers attended the course as well, with both officers and enlisted personnel as students. Patryk Zlotek, a Polish Liaison Officer assigned to KFOR RC-E, decided to enroll in the course to expand his knowledge of his first aid skills.
“This is a key skill on a mission as well as in everyday life,” said Zlotek. “Despite the differences, it is good to work together to have the same level of skills.”
Bringing several nationalities together to share skills is rewarding but also may come with distinct challenges. Most members of the class were not native English speakers, and some required translation for all course instruction.
“The language barrier was a challenge,” said Campbell. “Thankfully, with so many backgrounds in the room, the students were able to lean on each other to clarify communications or to offer better translations.”
The TCCC-CLS course taught the soldiers how to identify and manage life-threatening situations. Many medical competencies were taught including tourniquet application, identifying airway obstruction, respiratory distress and hypothermia.
Soldiers from Poland, Germany, Latvia, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Hungary and Turkey were a part of the 6-day event. On the last day of the training, a practical event was held and the students broke out into teams that competed against one another. The teams were given real-life scenarios that tested the skills they learned throughout the week of training while being timed. The exercise simulated encountering a casualty during combat and all the steps necessary to give care under fire and successfully transport their casualty to a safe medical evacuation.
The soldiers had fun learning from one another and interacting during the course. OR-3 Jonas Töllner, a KFOR RC-E German Maneuver Battalion soldier, said one of his favorite parts about the KFOR mission is working with other nations. He observed during the class that many of the U.S. and Germany CLS procedures are the same, and he found the course material very important.
“The approach of the different nations were very similar,” said Töllner. “Sometimes small differences could be seen, but if someone else was better at something, we would learn from them.”
Campbell states that the KFOR RC-E Maneuver Battalion medics’ mission in Kosovo is to sustain the health of the fighting force of the battalion.
She said that approximately 15 nations have soldiers living in Camp Novo Selo, and said the students now have the knowledge of a first responder, basic understanding of a mass casualty plan, and can now assist medical providers with life-saving care.
“Everyone was so willing to work together and help each other,” said Campbell. “It was truly a unique experience to have such a melting pot of students in the class.”
| Date Taken: | 12.19.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 02.24.2025 10:32 |
| Story ID: | 489801 |
| Location: | CAMP NOVO SELO, ZZ |
| Web Views: | 132 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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