LANDSTUHL, Germany – Nearly 30 Service Members from the United States and Allied Armed Forces across Europe participated in an International Trauma Combat Casualty Care (ITC3) course at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center’s (LRMC) European Medical Simulation Center (EMSC), Aug. 8–12.
The ITC3 course, which included Service Members and paramedics from German Police Force (Polizei) from five nations, offered unit-level healthcare providers life-saving instruction to increase survivability at the point of injury and standardize battlefield care.
“Having the International TCCC allows these different allied nations the chance to come together, discuss the finer points of care that each country does a little differently, and build relationships with each other that are important to the joint mission we share,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Kirk Giles, ESMC chief at LRMC.
TCCC instruction has saved hundreds of lives during conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan by focusing on pre-hospital care. The concept, developed in 1996 by Special Operations forces, is evidenced-based and battlefield proven to reduce deaths at the point of injury. TCCC introduces students to battlefield medicine best practices and trains participants in tactical combat components such as care under fire, tactical field care and tactical evacuation care.
U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Elena Chung, EMSC noncommissioned officer in charge, said it was the largest ITC3 ever held at LRMC so far.
“(The multinational cohort) practices working together as one team so we can save lives in a combat environment and bring those individuals back home for complete treatment of injuries,” she said.
In addition to U.S. Soldiers and Airmen, international partners included Service Members from Germany, Poland, Estonia, and the Czech Republic.
“(ITC3) allows (frontline healthcare providers) to administer similar medical care, regardless of language barriers, during multinational operations,” said German Sgt. Maj. Peter Speicher, Bundeswehr Medical Service. “This is state-of-the-art training, and everybody is motivated.”
“(EMSC) is the premier medical simulation center for Europe, part of LRMC’s Department of Hospital Education,” Giles said. “We offer 14 courses and this allows combat medics in Europe to maintain continuing education units and certifications.”
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