Photo By Andreka Johnson | A UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from the 16th Combat Aviation Brigade in support of H...... read more read more
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FORT WAINWRIGHT, Alaska – When soldiers are critically wounded on the battlefield, the medical treatment clock starts ticking at this moment. Their survival depends on the speedy response of a medic.
It is a mission that medics with the Medical Platoon of H Company, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, stay ready to accomplish. The unit conducted a medical evacuation training exercise Oct. 28 to prepare for any real-world MEDEVAC operation.
“I think the training we have been receiving will definitely prepare us for deployment,” said Pfc. Jordan Smith, a medic with 3-21st. “When you’re out there, everything seems so realistic, and to know that you have a life that’s depending on you is the ultimate feeling. That serves as motivation to accomplish the goal -- and that’s saving lives.”
The training underscores the importance of medics being able to respond quickly to situations and to provide care during what medical experts call the "Golden Hour.”
“It has long been known that the best chance for survival is within that first hour that a person’s life is on the line,” Laughlin said. “This hour is known as the ‘Golden Hour.’”
Training covered everything from calling for MEDEVAC support over a military radio to loading and unloading patients.
Soldiers practiced marking the pick-up location for the MEDEVAC crews using smoke and brightly colored signal panels. They also learned how to evaluate a casualty in a timely matter.
“Not only did the training serve as practice for soldiers, it also served as a refresher for the older Medics and an eye-opener for the new,” said Sgt. 1st Class Jeramie Laughlin, a medic with 3-21st.
Throughout the history of the military, a wounded soldier laid in the field where he had fallen with no one to come to his aid. But with the advancements of modern technology and first aid, soldiers strive to set the standard by remaining proficient in their ability to save lives.
According to studies, the survival rate for soldiers today rests at 98 percent. That was not always the case.
World War I was the catalyst for improved medical care as training became a priority. Medics trained alongside Infantry soldiers and learned how to use the environment for their protection as well as their patients’.
As a result of the medical advancements, a wounded World War II soldier had an 85 percent chance of surviving if he was treated by a medic within the first hour, according to studies.
Beginning in Vietnam, the medic's job was to treat and evacuate. MEDEVAC helicopters began bringing medics on board to continue treating the wounded while transporting them back to field hospitals.
| Date Taken: | 11.04.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 11.04.2010 19:42 |
| Story ID: | 59447 |
| Location: | FORT WAINWRIGHT, ALASKA, US |
| Web Views: | 177 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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