Fort Bragg medics train Embassy first responders in Kosovo

By Staff Sgt. Thomas DuvalMay 13, 2016

Fort Bragg medics train Embassy first responders in Kosovo
1 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Fort Bragg medics train Embassy first responders in Kosovo
2 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Staff Sgt. Victor Hall and Sgt. Rona Ver, both Soldiers deployed to Kosovo with the 28th Combat Support Hospital, demonstrate how to properly apply a tourniquet during a First Responders Course at the U.S. Embassy in Pristina, Kosovo, May 11-12. (U.S... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Fort Bragg medics train Embassy first responders in Kosovo
3 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A student practices inserting a nasopharyngeal airway into a training mannequin during a First Responders Course at the U.S. Embassy in Pristina, Kosovo, May 11-12. (U.S. Army photo by: Staff Sgt. Thomas Duval, Multinational Battle Group-East Public ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Fort Bragg medics train Embassy first responders in Kosovo
4 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Staff Sgt. Victor Hall, lead instructor for the U.S. Embassy's First Responders Course in Pristina, Kosovo, teaches a student how to properly insert a nasopharyngeal airway into a training mannequin during a First Responders Course May 11. (U.S. Arm... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

-- In 1898 Nicholas Senn, the 49th President of the American Medical Association, said, "The fate of the wounded lies in the hands of the ones who apply the first bandage."

More than 118 years later, his words are still impacting the way combat medics and nurses assigned to the 28th Combat Support Hospital trained first responders.

Deployed to Kosovo and in support of Kosovo Force 21, the Soldiers based out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina, adopted Senn's reflection, embracing their role as health care specialist and medical mentors, during a two-day first responder's course at the U.S. embassy in Pristina, Kosovo, May 11-12.

During the course, the Soldiers trained more than 30 international embassy employees in potential lifesaving measures such as: hemorrhage control, opening and managing an airway, needle chest decompression, and medical evacuation procedures.

"The purpose of the first responder, just like the combat lifesaver, is to bridge the gap between the casualty and medical personnel from the moment of injury," said Sgt. Rona Ver, practical nursing specialist assigned to the 28th CSH. "Even in non-combat situations people die from preventable deaths because medical personnel cannot arrive in time or the average bystander has no training in medical emergencies. Being able to assess an emergency and perform initial interventions is critical to the overall outcome of a casualty. Having trained first responders within an organization maintains their readiness for any emergency situation that may arise."

The curriculum mirrored the Army's Combat Lifesaver course, but was tailored to conditions and situations embassy workers may face. Many of the students are embassy security guards, police officers and other law enforcement professionals.

Instead of common combat scenarios like care under fire and tactical field care, the students learned advanced first aid skills in a classroom environment.

Although it wasn't as intense as a typical Army Combat Lifesavers course, the students said it was just as effective.

"In the beginning of the course there were things I didn't understand and I made a lot of mistakes but at the end I felt like it was much easier," said Faruk Mulaku, a student of the first responder course. "Now we have the knowledge to treat people and if needed save their life."

Despite mistakes made early on by Mulaku and his classmates, the multinational team displayed technical proficiency with the skills they learned during multiple hands on demonstrations, further ensuring if any of the 30 trained first responders should be the first to apply a bandage, the fate of the injured should be in good hands.

Catherine Kim, a medical provider for the U.S. Embassy in Pristina, acknowledged the success of the class and said she hopes to work with the Soldiers to conduct more training in the future, citing the importance of first aid and advanced lifesaving training.

Embassy First Responder Class

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