Horn of Africa Expeditionary Medical Force Educates to Save Lives

26 Jun 07
by MC2(SW) Sunday Williams
CJTF-HOA Public Affairs Office

CAMP LEMONIER, DJIBOUTI – In deployed locations, corpsmen and medics can’t be everywhere. It’s important for all service members to become Combat Life Savers so they can be trained in how to save a life in a remote location. The first few minutes of a traumatic injury are crucial to the victim’s survival, which is why it’s important to know at least basic life saving skills.

Navy Lt. Jeremiah Ingemunsun, Expeditionary Medical Forces, or EMF, helps service members do just that with the Combat Life Saver course, or CLS, he teaches once a month on Camp Lemonier.

Ingemunsun recently completed his fifth CLS course this month. The three-day class had 25 students from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps.

Ingemunsun explained that the class provides support for military medics and corpsmen and gives victims a better chance of survival.

“It is just no longer plausible for the medics and corpsmen to provide all the initial care in the modern battle field,” said Ingemunsun. “They are limited and can not help everyone at one time. The more service members that get the proper training, the more people that can be saved.”

Navy Personnel Specialist Chief Petty Officer Margaret Greer took the class in May and said before taking the class she was not comfortable with her lifesaving skills.

“I am really glad I took the class because it has helped me relax a lot,” said Greer. “In the event there is a situation where I am OK and others are not, I want to be able to help whenever I can, and now I feel that I am able to.”

Tech. Sgt. Christopher Winder participated in the June class and explained that he learned a lot that he can teach others in the future.

“I am an instructor [back at home station] who teaches Self Aid Buddy Care.” said Winder. “It is our version of the CLS course, but it is only one day and not as extensive. I got a lot of really good information from this course that I can implement into our course. It was great.”

Ingemunsun agreed the course gives important information and the opportunity to get hands-on training.

“The hands on is the most important part of the training,” said Ingemunsun. “This is where the student can really learn and experience the training, especially with IVs.”

The course also consists of nine lectures and how to dress wounds, prepare splints, administer IVs to each other, and learn how to treat heat-related injuries, which is especially important in Africa.

With such an important task of saving lives, the lieutenant has his best instructors helping him teach the course.

“I have to say that without my instructors, the students would not get the close instruction that hands-on training has to offer,” said Ingemunsun. “They allow for more hands-on time, and at the end of each course, the instructors get great evaluations from the students.”

By the end of the course, he said students need to be able to assess a casualty, identify and immediately treat all life-threatening injuries, and successfully start an IV, which they only have two attempts to accomplish. However, successfully passing the course is not what’s most important to Ingemunsun.

“I want everyone who participates in this course to be successful and for the students to take with them the confidence and skills to save lives, not only on the battle field but in all areas.”

Photo - Hospital Corpsmen 3rd Class DeAnna Yaklich instructs Tech. Sgt. Carla Heuler as she inserts and IV needle and catheter into Tech. Sgt. Christopher Winder’s arm during the June Combat Life Saver course. The course teaches important life saving skills to service members that would not typically be trained medically. By the end of the three day course service members can dress wounds, prepare splints, administer IVs to each other, and treat heat-related injuries, which is especially important in Africa. This course gives more people the knowledge to assist in the first few minutes of a traumatic injury thus bettering the victim’s chance of survival. Photo by MC2 (SW) Sunday Williams.