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GRAFENWÖHR, Germany — According to the Army Medical School’s Combat Lifesaver course, around 90 percent of combat deaths occur on the battlefield before the casualties can reach a medical treatment facility.
The 196th Medical Support Unit, which is part of the 7th Civil Support Command, Europe’s only Army Reserve Command, headquartered in Kaiserslautern, did their part by hosting a 40-hour Combat Lifesaver course here Feb. 10 to 12.
“I have taught over 30 of these classes,” said Sgt. 1st Class Toney C. Fowler, a combat medic with the 196th MSU. “No matter how many classes I teach, I still get excited watching students take the knowledge of responding and caring for wounded service members on the battlefield.”
During the three-day class, students learned how to apply a tourniquet, stop bleeding from a severe wound, place a nasopharyngeal airway tube in a patient who had ceased breathing and evacuate a patient from a battle zone.
“I rejoined the Army Reserves so I could help further the medical knowledge of service members throughout this command,” said Spc. Rashaun Smith, a combat medic with the 196th MSU. “I love what I do and enjoy helping people.”
Although this class does not classify a Soldier as a medical specialist, it does increase the chance of a military or civilian casualty being helped after being severely wounded.
“This CLS class was very informative,” said Spc. Phillip Goodman, a supply clerk with 7th Warrior Training Brigade. “We do a lot of training in the military, but I think this could be one of the more important classes that I have taken.”
All the students passed the course and can now take their newly learned lifesaving techniques back to their respective units and real world environment whether on the battlefield or during everyday life.
