DHAKA, Bangladesh " The words “Ek dol, Ek Juddho!” or “One Team, One Fight!” thundered from the mouths of more than 60 Bangladesh officers, nurses and soldiers during the recent graduation ceremony of the Medical First Responder Train-the-Trainer course, here, June 5-9.
“The U.S. Army-Pacific, Pacific Regional Medical Command and Tripler Army Medical Center, along with the Bangladesh Armed Forces Medical Institute, partnered in the planning and execution of a USARPAC Theater Security Cooperation,” said Master Sgt. David Dixon, medical operations noncommissioned officer, Surgeon’s Office, USARPAC. “The event exposed these soldiers to basic medical treatment techniques involved in combat casualty care.”
The team provided its medical subject matter expertise and training on effective combat emergency medical procedures to the Bangladesh armed forces officer and enlisted corps. The team included Dixon; fellow team leader Master Sgt. Patricia Tillett, medical operations NCO, USARPAC; and Sgt. 1st Class Zella Gilkey, Sgt. 1st Class Tameka Carr, Staff Sgt. Rishana Dunn and Staff Sgt. Selena Short, all from TAMC.
“During the five-day course, the team utilized (its) expert medical skills and experience to teach the students the critical skills associated with tactical combat casualty care,” said Sgt. Maj. Dwight Wafford, chief medical NCO, Surgeon’s Office, USARPAC. “They also shared lessons learned in an effort to continue to build medical capabilities within the Bangladesh armed forces.
“Through classroom and hands-on training, each team member taught a variety of skills and techniques required to save lives on the battlefield,” he said.
The course included all aspects of tactical combat casualty care, including care under fire, controlling bleeding, airway management, treatment of a penetrating chest trauma, initiating field medical cards, patient movement techniques and medical evacuation operations.
According to Wafford, the Bangladesh soldiers said they were extremely excited about the training and were actively engaged in all aspects of the course, although they enjoyed the hands-on training the most. The team monitored the soldiers while they applied tourniquets, bandaged a variety of wounds, splinted fractured limbs, completed needle decompressions and manually carried and evacuated casualties from the battlefield.
“On the last day of the course, the training team evaluated each student as they negotiated a simulated combat lane scenario,” he said. “With aid bag in hand, the students were required to demonstrate the ability to manage up to four critically-injured patients, under simulated combat conditions, from point of injury to evacuation.”
The course ended with a formal graduation ceremony, where each student received a completion certificate, combat lifesaver bag and a special gift from each instructor.
“We made sure that the training that the students received was as realistic as possible,” Dixon said. “The more realistic the training, the better prepared they are going to be in real-world combat situations.”
The students can now return to their home stations to share these critical lessons with their soldiers, to conserve the fighting strength of their organizations, he said.
This training event is just one example of how enlisted medical personnel make significant contributions to the Army’s overall mission.
“Their performance during this week of training was fantastic, and the Bangladesh armed forces will benefit for years to come,” Wafford said.
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