Medics provide training to African forces

By CourtesySeptember 15, 2014

Medics provide training to African forces
Sgt. Vergel Wabinga, the noncommissioned officer in charge of a team of medics from the 557th Medical Company, 421st Med. Battalion, 30th Med. Brigade, demonstrates how to properly place a combat application tourniquet to soldiers from various Africa... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

BAUMHOLDER, Germany - Combat medics from the 557th Medical Company, 421st Med. Battalion, 30th Med. Brigade, are in Africa training forces on new medical equipment as a part of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic.

Established by a UN Security Council resolution, the mission is a peace support mission with the aim to stabilize the Central African Republic.

The U.S. government has provided the African nation's forces with more than 6,000 improvised first aid kits and 1,000 combat life saver bags in an effort to increase the readiness of their forces.

The 421st MMB medics partnered with two surgeons, an anesthesiologist and a nurse from the French Armed Forces. Together they taught Central African Republic forces the principals of tactical combat casualty care and basic life saving interventions on the battlefield.

Over the course of three days, the combined team trained 56 African forces from five different contingents such as Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon and Cameroon.

The first day included an introduction into the contents of the Army IFAK and CLS bag. Students were trained how to properly utilize the equipment and employ alternative improvised methods that could be used in a field environment, or when medical supplies are unavailable.

In an insightful sharing of best practices, U.S. and French Soldiers learned how the African contingents performed medical interventions on the battlefield.

The second day covered the principles of TCCC, rapid trauma patient assessment, and the various methods of manual casualty evacuation.

The training culminated when the MISCA forces were required to demonstrate their newly gained knowledge in scenario-based testing lanes. The students were broken into separate groups where they had to work as a team to treat multiple simulated casualties, and evacuate them to a higher level of care.

At the completion of the training, the students were recognized and given certificates of training as well as a brand new IFAK.

"I learned very quickly that I had to keep the instructions very basic, things like 'Twist, twist, twist, until there is no red' were some of the simple approaches I took when training these soldiers," said Sgt. Vergel Wabinga, the noncommissioned officer in charge of the U.S. training team, after conducting a demonstration on how to properly place the combat application tourniquet. "The Soldiers really appreciated the step-by-step instructions which resulted in 100% of the Soldiers being fully trained."

The relationships among the U.S., French, and MISCA counterparts were strengthened as a result of this mission.

The African forces are better trained to preserve the lives of Soldiers who sustain injuries while conducting military operations in Africa and worldwide.

"This has been an amazing experience," said Spc. Thomas Shields, one of the U.S. assistant instructors. "We got to work with the French and MISCA forces and train them on our medical skills. All of the Soldiers involved were very supportive in the training making for a fulfilling mission."