KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan —
The training scenario: an explosion at an entry control point severely injures two service members and first responders must react quickly to save lives.
Army Sgt. James Toney, a health care noncommissioned officer with 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, employed that scenario to begin his tactical combat casualty care training course.
The training consisted of three phases: care under fire, tactical field care
and tactical evacuation care, Toney said. “The primary focus is to teach first responders how to tactically advance up to a casualty, treat them and evacuate them within a tactical situation,” he said.
Toney said he and his team are training Afghanistan-deployed Bulgarian service members. Bulgaria is a member of NATO.
“We have trained over 80 Bulgarian military members since arriving [in Afghanistan],” Toney said. “There is a bit of a language barrier, but they are eager to learn the material.”
‘The Wounds Look Realistic'
During the training, Toney said, he and his soldiers employ specially prepared mannequins as mock casualties to help make the scenarios as realistic as possible.
“The wounds look realistic and disgusting, but it's very helpful for my soldiers to see,” said Bulgarian army 1st Sgt. Nikolov…
