Medical Training

[MarinesFTW]

So last fall (2008) I was at a Mini-Boot Camp up at Camp Ripley in Minnesota. We had a small class where they told us about some of the medical training you recieve during Boot Camp and during ITB/MCT. They briefly talked about how some infantry guys go and do more medical training so they have a bigger understanding of it, so im guessing like a mini Cropsman. This was my first class of that day so I was a little out of it, so if I could give more info I would, but thats why I'm here. I am just wondering how they get selected or do you voulenteer for it, and what kind of training is it. Sorry for being so vague.

Thanks for your time Marines.

Poolee Vogt

[CplGiraffe]

During bootcamp you learn basic first-aide skills and are tested on it at the end of bootcamp. You take 5 first-aide courses that teach mainly how to treat: head and eye wound, sucking chest wound, amputation, open fracture, no breathing, chemical burn, and abrasion? I don't remember what they call the last one... basicly a large bleeding wound. In MCT they expand on these topics and make it more realistic where your partner is screaming and stuff while you are trying to heal them. I don't know a lot of the classes you can take beyond this, I know at my school a group of 20 people just got a chance to take a combat lifesaver course, beyond that is beyond me.

[dizark]

I'm a field radio operator and most of the junior Marines I'm with were able to take a Combat Life Saver Course here in the fleet...

[MarinesFTW]

Well mabe thats what the Marine was talking about, I just couldn't remember and was getting courious.

[MontezumaCpl]

I remember taking First Aid courses way back even in the Air Wing. Seems industrial type accidents happen a lot all over the military. I always thought it was a good idea to keep up on First Aid training.

[Zulu 36]

Combat Life Saver is a rather new introduction (post 9-11 if I'm not mistaken). Basically it is something between basic first aid as taught in boot camp/SOI and what the corpsmen know. You learn how to drop airways, start IVs, and use some more technical splints and such. Essentially, you become a trained helper for the corpsman so two docs don't have to work one critical patient, plus in a pinch you can handle serious casualties yourself.

I know from my reading (and some posts here) that mostly infantrymen are selected for this course and trained during their pre-deployment workups. I think they try to have at least one combat lifesaver in each squad.

You should always get basic first aid/CPR training refreshers throughout your Marine Corps time in any case.

[MarinesFTW]

Combat Life Saver is a rather new introduction (post 9-11 if I'm not mistaken). Basically it is something between basic first aid as taught in boot camp/SOI and what the corpsmen know. You learn how to drop airways, start IVs, and use some more technical splints and such. Essentially, you become a trained helper for the corpsman so two docs don't have to work one critical patient, plus in a pinch you can handle serious casualties yourself.

I know from my reading (and some posts here) that mostly infantrymen are selected for this course and trained during their pre-deployment workups. I think they try to have at least one combat lifesaver in each squad.

You should always get basic first aid/CPR training refreshers throughout your Marine Corps time in any case.


Thanks for that info Sgt. It is really close to what the Marine had said, and what I was trying to say.