HEIDELBERG, Germany -- The leadership of V Corps' 18th Engineer Brigade has a
vision: To get every Soldier in the brigade certified as an Army Combat Lifesaver.
The Army's ideal setup is to have one or
two CLS-qualified Soldiers in each squad,
but the 18th has loftier goals.
"Each crew is supposed to have one, maybe
two, people that are CLS certified," said
Maj. John A. Knight, the 18th's executive
officer. "But Headquarters Company is
supposed to reach 100 percent CLS
qualification."
It is the brigade commander's vision to
eventually have every Soldier in the brigade
CLS trained and certified, Knight added.
That process began with CLS training for
the brigade units that are preparing to
deploy in support of Operation Iraqi
Freedom -- the HHC and the 535th Engineer
Support Company.
"It will be a lot harder to get (the 535th) 100
percent complete CLS training, since they
will be deploying a lot sooner than the
HHC," said Knight.
To complete the brigade's training may
prove to be quite difficult anyway. As a
PFC MICHAEL SYNER
Maj. John A. Knight, executive officer for V Corps'
18th Engineer Brigade, removes an intravenous needle
from Capt. Kristen N. Dahle, commander of the
brigade's Headquarters and Headquarters Company,
during CLS training in Heidelberg, Germany Aug 1.
result of U.S. Army Europe transformation, the 18th has changed considerably, as other
engineer units, or parts of inactivated units across Germany, have been moved under the
brigade's command, said Staff Sgt. Dawn E. Camp, the medical treatment team NCO-incharge.
The entire brigade has roughly 1,500 Soldiers now, all of whom they are looking
to train in a complex 40-hour course. That's 60,000 training hours to CLS certify every
Soldier in the brigade.
Camp's part of the mission, to train the HHC's Soldiers, is about 80 percent complete,
she said.
Camp did a great job with the classes, said Knight, who recently completed the training.
"We have a 100 percent 'first-time go' rate," Camp said, meaning that every Soldier
passed every task on his first attempt.
"The people have just been fabulous," Camp said.
But not everything goes fabulously, she added. There is actually something of a language
barrier to the training.
"The medical language is the hardest part of the training. Latin medical terms are
difficult to explain in everyday English, but we work through it," she said.
In addition, there is one fear students
have of CLS training that makes it a
little more difficult. Many Soldiers
don't particularly enjoy getting stuck
with needles, said Camp, but it is a
necessary part of the training, to teach
students how to insert an intravenous
needle.
"A lot of Soldiers think that a CLS class
means that they are guinea pigs to try out
the needles," Camp said. "That is a part
of the class, but it's to reinforce what
they learned. CLS is about being able to
save lives."
How does CLS prepare Soldiers to save
lives? By expanding on the basics of
first aid, said Camp. Some of the key
points of CLS training include medical
evacuation procedures; inserting IVs;
applying field dressings; splinting
fractures; stabilizing a casualty with a head or spinal injury, and even correcting a
collapsed lung.
The engineers have also completed Medical Communications for Combat Care training, a
program that allows every Soldier's medical status to be easily obtained and transmitted
to medical units and facilities, said Camp.
But the brigade is not stopping with medical training as it prepares to head "downrange."
"We will be training the Soldiers on more individual tasks like warrior-leader skills," said
Capt. Kristen N. Dahle, the HHC commander.
For example, the company's next training objective is to conduct Nuclear, Biological and
Chemical readiness drills. "Range Week" is also coming up, a time when the Soldiers
ensure that they are up to date on their skills with individual and crew-served weapons,
said Dahle.
"We are still busy with preparations, but I think we will be ready when the time comes,"
said Camp.
www.vcorps.army.mil
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