GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- The 17th Medical Group trained with Odin Medical, a private company specializing in life saving first aid, to complete Tactical Combat Casualty Care training at Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, February 21.
The medics refreshed their training to provide emergency care in a combat situation. The training consisted of carries, drags, tourniquets, bandaging, written exams, and other lessons.
U.S. Air Force Capt. Melissa Seibert, 17th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron dentist, explained how the training was important for medics to better prepare them for an emergency situation. According to Seibert, in a deployed environment, medics will revert to what they learned in training so it’s important for them to work hard during TCCC.
TCCC training has four levels of qualification, tier one through three are for all other service members and tier four is for medical providers.
The TCCC training consists of two intensive days both in and out of the classroom. All medical providers must undergo this training to instruct other service members.
“We were doing the training for two purposes,” said Master Sgt. John Gregg, 17th OMRS superintendent. “First, we did the training for alignment with national defense strategic priorities and to better prepare our Air Force medical providers, doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, and medics for future conflicts. Second was to achieve the Air Force Surgeon General’s mandate to have all 4N0X1s trained by April 2021. We accomplished this 13 months ahead of schedule.”
Odin Medical provided classroom training and simulated scenarios. They stress-tested the medical providers with simulated wounds and gun fire, forcing the providers to react.
Instructors demonstrated use of equipment the medics would most likely see in a deployed environment. In the practical portion of class, the medics practiced with different equipment performing drags, carries, or tending to wounds.
Ten medics who completed the required training went on to assist instructing the next class alongside the professionals from Odin Medical. Instructors provided coaching on teaching a class.
Gregg stated that the new instructors trained through the program will be used to stand up their own training site so the 17th MDG can train all service members on Goodfellow and other bases. Additionally, the training saved $40,000 in temporary duty costs and thousands of lost man-hours in TDY absences.
Goodfellow trains like they fight. Due to this training, they are better prepared to instruct our Airmen and increase the readiness of the total force.