Note: The connection here isn’t allowing me to upload the hi res photo. I’ll update this post when I get a chance with the appropriate photo.
For those that weren’t aware, I finally made it into Afghanistan and have begun a year in this wonderful, tropical paradise! I will be posting updates both here and at my main blog, A Soldier’s Perspective. However, don’t expect much by way of information just based on the nature of my mission.
One of the things that, looking back, becomes eminently important is the training that Soldiers receive to save the lives of their fellow troops – or even themselves. Combat lifesaving techniques cannot be stressed enough in any training plan prior to deployment. Even though the training may, at times, seem monotonous or repetitive, it should be pounded into Soldiers heads over and over again to ensure they understand the importance of knowing these lifesaving steps.
Prior to leaving Kyrgyzstan, I explained to my group of Soldiers how important this training was we were receiving there. We were being taught how to use our IFAK kits. During the training, I caught a Soldier falling asleep. Correction: the Soldier WAS asleep, not getting there. I made the immediate correction and when the instructor put us on a break I explained to every Soldier what we were getting into. The Soldier had never deployed and probably didn’t understand the severity of what was about to take place when we got on that plane.
I explained that one of these Soldiers could very well depend on him for saving his life and does he think that falling asleep during this important training will provide him with the tools to do that. I mentioned a story from my time in Iraq years ago when we were called to the scene of an assassination attempt that had just occurred a few blocks from our position. We arrived on the scene and a bloodied Iraqi man was lying in the streets with brain matter protruding from his head. Instantly, all the training we had received back at home and in Kuwait kicked in. I knew EXACTLY how to treat the head wound and other injuries. We were able to bring him “back to life” three times before he took his last breath. While there really wasn’t much we could do about a brain injury, the fact is that my team didn’t hesitate to do what we were trained to the do and the Iraqi people saw that we tried to save even a lost cause. He could be that person that the Afghan people are watching when one of their own needs immediately medical assistance and if he isn’t confident and competent in these things, we just lost value in the face of the population.
What it all boils down to is that, in the end, we are all potential combat lifesavers!
