Medics undergo combatant training

COLUMBUS AFB, Miss. - Columbus Air Force Base’s 14th Medical Group trained 10 medics in the wing’s first on-site Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) combatants course July 16 at the Kortiz medical clinic. The TCCC course provides medics with life-saving skills in addition to tactical field care, tactical evacuation care, and essential need-to-know capabilities to save lives while in combat situations. It’s readiness focused training “aimed at treating those preventable battlefield deaths when deployed,” said Lt. Col. Christopher Kelly, 14th MDG chief nurse and National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians TCCC Instructor. With readiness being the No. 1 priority of AF Surgeon General, and across DoD, the 14th MDG was making sure Airmen were getting the proper tactical medical training. Refresher training will be held at a minimum of every 24 months keeping medics ready to deploy. Medics practiced treatment on augmented mannequins as well as volunteers with replicated battle wounds to simulate the feel and smell of traumatic injuries. Senior Airman Robert Patterson, 14th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron mental health technician, said the knowledge learned on “how to stay calm … (w)ith all the screaming, gunshot noises and the stress of needing to get the wounded to safety, the training felt very real.” TCCC also teaches first-responder treatment of the most preventable causes of death on the battlefield, controlling a hemorrhage, treating penetrating chest wounds, airway protection and tourniquet application. Almost 90 percent of severely wounded combat service members die before getting to a medical treatment facility, which illustrates the importance of first responders to be combat ready on the battlefield. (Source: CAFB 07/17/20)