I recently attended my first official 2 week annual training with ANG SF. I won't lie, I was impressed and do not feel my time was wasted. This was the best experience I've had in my almost 5 years in the ANG, 3 in AFSF.
That said, I was surprised when we flew to Alpena, MI that we had services folks to serve chow, but no medical support. Is this typical? So if we get hurt, we simply call 911? What happens when we deploy?
Another thing:
1. We used the term CLS loosely during our training. As in, it seems like we're supposed to have Combat Life Saver qualified people among our ranks. What's the deal with this? Is it a pre-deployment only thing? Is there a means to get CLS certified?
2. Where do we get CLS bags from? My UTM mentioned Gall's, US Cav and other commercial sources. Isn't there a supply chain in the AF/ANG? Do we not get them from medical? To include the supplies to fill the CLS bags?
It was normal in the Army for each squad or team to have at least one CLS qualified soldier. Platoon Sergeant threw you a bag and if you needed supplies you went "shopping" at the Troop Medical Clinic (TMC). How does this work in the AF? Where do we get training?
The Army issued a FRAGO discontinuing CLS last month. New program drops IV and, I believe, emphasizes the control of hemorrhaging.
Prior to that AF training on CLS was intermittent at best. In most cases AF personnel got CLS training when they went to an Army power projection platform for pre deployment training.
The AF medical community was never into the whole IV thing hence the lack of wide spread CLS training across the AF.
Army to assess; revise Combat Lifesaver training Sep 1, 2009
By TRADOC Public Affairs
FORT MONROE, Va. (Sept. 1, 2009) -- In a fragmentary order dated Aug. 25, the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command suspended intravenous training from the Combat Lifesaver Course beginning Sept. 1.
TRADOC routinely reviews and revises its courses based on experiences and feedback from operating forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, officials said.
Medical evidence and operational lessons learned suggest that the CLS course should emphasize the critical tasks of hemorrhage control and tactical casualty movement. Currently, 70 percent of the class is spent on the IV task, officials said.
In addition, on Aug. 6, the Defense Health Board published a memorandum "Tactical Combat Casualty Care and Minimizing Preventable Fatalities in Combat" recommending additional emphasis in training on hemorrhage control.
TRADOC will assess the medical evidence and operational lessons and revise the CLS curriculum, officials said. They anticipated that the revised curriculum will be effective in January 2010.
Also, during my research I found this bad boy used by USN/USMC Combat Lifesavers....
buddy of mine up in Iowa with a SF ANG unit is the medical guy there but he is an EMT-B. Studys have shown that pushing fluids can actually be detrimental especially if hemmoraging cannot be controlled. You cant replace blood with saline. Also folks are causing more harm than good with sticking folks in a classroom environment let alone in a combat situation
EMT-B, SABC Instructor, Combat Lifesaver, AHA FA/CPR/AED instructor here too.
Prior to our departure for annual training, I asked the question about medical support. I was asked if I could bring my personal medical kit. I did, as well as an AED from work. Wasn't too sure about O2 on a C-130 so I didn't bring that.
We don't have medics assigned, tasked or trained in our squadron; nor do I think there's a mandate to do so. Our medical squadron is not a "treatment facility/unit", so they don't officially provide us with medical support, although they have, to an extent.
Just more learning lessons for me, which I don't mind.
Originally posted by 15713302: The Army issued a FRAGO discontinuing CLS last month. New program drops IV and, I believe, emphasizes the control of hemorrhaging.
Control of hemorrhaging to limit or reduce amount of large volume blood loss is more life-saving essential than IV fluid replacement. The effective IV fluid replacement is dependent on the correct volume of fluid (no more or no less). Whole blood is absolutely necessary in the proper treatment of hemorrhagic shock due to loss of greater than 50% blood volume (approximately 3000cc).
The more fluids other than blood given to replace lost blood causes water and electrolyte imbalances and more importantly such fluid therapy does not replace red blood cells that is the work horse of moving oxygen to the cells and removing carbon dioxide from the cells.
Although electrolyte solutions and plasma expander (plasma protein/synthetic colloid) are useful in providing a temporary increase in circulatory fluid volume; the less blood lost, the more useful this fluid replacement treatment is. Stop the bleeding is more important than start the IV.
