The Army battle doctrine was developed for a mobile and widely dispersed battlefield. The doctrine recognizes that battlefield constraints will limit the ability of trained medical personnel, including combat medics (Health Care Specialist MOS 91W), to provide immediate, far-forward care. Therefore, a plan was developed to provide additional care to injured combat soldiers. The combat lifesaver is part of that plan. PURPOSE OF THE COMBAT LIFESAVER The combat lifesaver is a bridge between the self-aid/buddy-aid (first aid) training given all soldiers during basic training and the medical training given to the combat medic. The combat lifesaver is a nonmedical soldier who provides lifesaving measures as a secondary mission as his primary (combat) mission allows. The combat lifesaver may also assist the combat medic in providing care and preparing casualties for evacuation when the combat lifesaver has no combat duties to perform. Normally, one member of each squad, team, crew, or equivalent-sized unit will be trained as a combat lifesaver. A major advantage of the combat lifesaver is that he will probably be nearby if a member of his squad or crew is injured. It may take a combat medic several minutes or longer to reach the casualty, especially if there are several other casualties and/or the medic is at another location. The combat lifesaver is trained to provide immediate care that can save a casualty's life, such as stopping severe bleeding, administering intravenous fluids to control shock, and performing needle chest decompression for a casualty with tension pneumothorax. Lesson 1: PERFORMING TACTICAL COMBAT CASUALTY CARE. Lesson 2: EVALUATING A CASUALTY Lesson 3: OPENING AND MANAGING A CASUALTY'S AIRWAY Lesson 4: TREATING PENETRATING CHEST TRAUMA AND DECOMPRESSING A TENSION PNEUMOTHORAX. Lesson 5: CONTROLLING BLEEDING Lesson 6: INITIATING A SALINE LOCK AND INTRAVENOUS INFUSION. Lesson 7: INITIATING A FIELD MEDICAL CARD. Lesson 8: REQUESTING MEDICAL EVACUATION (MEDEVAC) Lesson 9: EVACUATING A CASUALTY USING A SKED OR IMPROVISED LITTER. Appendix: COMBAT LIFESAVER MEDICAL EQUIPMENT SET.
It's a decent course, I have taught it in the past to regular joes and it helps me in the field by having extra trained hands available when things go bad. We supplement it with more advanced skills training and show how to setup blow out kits, etc.
love it, will be going through it in the am. Already did some of the tests and did fairly well, but not 100%, not good enough.....yet once again, good job melbo whoever you are