herseyjh said:
I remustered from the infantry over to the medical branch as I figured being a medic in the army would jive with what I was taking at school (nursing/paramedicine). From my perspective, and observations of Med-As in the field, it is a lot easier to train someone with a tactical mind paramedicine than to go the other way around. I have seen it time and time again when a medic is attached to a combat unit they just lack the know-how. Take someone from the combat arms train them to be medics.
The above statement runs counter to the American and British experience. Let's not "reinvent the wheel in the shape of a maple leaf". Tactical Combat Casualty Care is not BTLS but with bullets flying around. I'd like to see you strap an intubated patient to a backboard breathing for him as the troops fight through all around you. Read Capt Frank Butler,USN, treatise on TCCC. He is the founder of modern TCCC concepts. LCdr Butler is a Medical Doctor and a Navy SEAL. There are different levels of TCCC care, all based on proper medical research and medical boards. They pertain to the enviroment, hostile activity, air superiority, level of trg of responder,....ad naseum. It is combat not rocket science. Everyone deployed in the CF must learn TCCC. Medics should be tactically trained to be a greater asset to the Warfighters we serve.
The problem is that the medical corp does not promote a tactical mindset. They assume security will always be there.....there will come a time when the warfighters will be to busy to protect us. On a personal note, I abhor the idea of relying on someone else for my protection. Self-defence is a human right. TCCC concepts are not hard to grasp for anyone who has been on ops. Those that have heard the bells chime believe it to be self evident.
The medical corp must move away from this peace time mindset shake the rust off the cogs of military medicine and get to it.
Since
most of the medical corp does not think tactically....subcontract out the training to a
'qualified, experienced company'. Certain units in the CF train quite extensively at US facilities and/or bring in instructor from schools to train their people. One unit in Pet recognized a lacking skillset and brought in instructors from the UK to teach their men. They are looking at other options as we speak. It is called 'Alternative Service Delivery'.
It is not expensive as all the R&D, course development, instructor training and ancillary costs are cover by the company delivering the 'product'. It is those above costs that make a mil course development prohibitive. There are other benefits, NCOs will be able to take the course, lead their troops in scenario play and develop a team for deployment. This cannot be done with the NCOs with teaching the troops they have to lead and not getting a chance to learn in a induced stress environment. Making mistakes in training is a learning experience, mistakes in combat means someone dies.
The bottom line is:
1. TCCC is the way to deliver life-saving aid in a active non-permissive environment .
2. Everyone in the CF should be train in TCCC, medics even more so.
3. Find a solution, enact it before people die; Alternative Service Delivery may be the answer.
Check out the following links concepts of care:
http://www.drum.army.mil/sites/tenants/division/CMDGRP/SURGEON/journals/TACTICAL%20COMBAT%20CASUALTY%20CARE.htm
http://www.drum.army.mil/sites/tenants/division/CMDGRP/SURGEON/Ranger%20FR/2%20RFRTCCC.ppt
http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/medical/tacmed-butler.htm
http://www.tricare.osd.mil/conferences/2001/downloads/breakout/T201b_Butler.ppt