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Louisiana Soldiers provide medical training to Iraqi army
05/18/09 - 08:44 AM
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BAGHDAD – Soldiers from the Louisiana Army National Guard’s 225th Engineer Brigade of Pineville, La., provided medical training to the 11th Iraqi Army Engineer Regiment located in the northeastern Baghdad district of Adhamiyah, May 13.

Because of the valuable training provided by the ‘Castle’ engineers, what to do when a fellow soldier is injured is no longer a fear or cause for concern for the IA soldiers.

“The mission today was to reinforce basic life-saving skills, basic first aid, and demonstrate new methods and new ways they can improve upon providing medical care to each other,” said Sgt. Mark Johnson of Alexandria, La., a combat medic with the 225th.

According to Jackson, there are many skills that a Soldier must master to become proficient in medical first aid, but none are more important than controlling bleeding.

To control bleeding in a combat zone usually means the application of a tourniquet, a device that constricts blood vessels to slow the bleeding.  The ability to properly apply that tourniquet can be the difference between life and death for a Soldier.

“We demonstrated to the IA how to apply improvised and manufactured tourniquets, going in depth with the improvised,” explained Pineville, La., native Staff Sgt. Adam Sanchez.

“An improvised tourniquet is not a commercial tourniquet.  It is a tourniquet that is using the available materials that you may have with you such as rags, sticks and such,” he continued.

The Soldiers from the 11th IA quickly took note of the training and began practicing placing bandage wraps and tourniquets on the arms and legs of their comrades.

“They were very excited to learn, and I was surprised at the amount of knowledge (first-aid) that the IA Soldiers already had,” Sanchez noted.  “Even some of the senior guys there were former med students.”

For the many months to come, the combat medics of the 225th will continue to provide instruction to its Iraqi army partners.

By Scott Flenner
225th Engineer Brigade Public Affairs Representative