ZAGAN, Poland-Soldiers assigned to 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, along with Polish medics and firefighters provided joint basic first aid training to 32 Polish students and faculty at Primary School 59, here, Jan. 27.
The training consisted of four stations, each having one U.S. medic, one Polish medic and one Polish firefighter. The stations covered hemorrhage control, properly splinting a broken bone, taking vital signs, and conducting the Heimlich maneuver.
"The thing that I want the students to take out of this training is to not be afraid to act if something happens," said Capt. Christopher Kell, a civil affairs officer assigned to 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. "If they see somebody hurt on the side of the road, don't be afraid to help them because they may be the person that saves their life."
According to Kell, the school wasn't chosen randomly, the students involved in the training have an interest in medical and military training.
"What we have here is a mixture of junior ROTC and first aid club students," he said. "These students have an interest in stuff like first aid training and getting to know the Polish and U.S. military."
After the instructors taught their portion of the class, the students conducted hands on training to ensure they were retaining the material.
"It gives them a chance to get to know the material and get through some of the fears they may have about touching someone else," Kell said. "It's good to put them in a place where they have to work together because you can't always treat somebody with just yourself."
Although Kell was one of the 12 instructors, he said he and his team learned from their Polish counterparts throughout the training.
"This training was good for us because it helps us with our communication capabilities and it helps us understand how our allies and our partners work when it comes to a medical aspect," he said. "It helped us increase our capabilities from a medical standpoint on how we would work through processes, whether that may be language barriers, or different types of medical procedures."
According to Kell, the goal is to continue training within the community and strengthening the alliance with Polish counterparts.
The brigade is here as the first rotation of back-to-back armored brigades in Europe in support of Atlantic Resolve. This rotation will enhance deterrence capabilities in the region, improve the U.S. ability to respond to potential crises and defend allies and partners in the European community. U.S. forces will focus on strengthening capabilities and sustaining readiness through bilateral and multinational training and exercises.
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