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AAR: Combat Lifesaver/TC3 2 May – Jack (“Take this for your teammates’)

Take this class for your teammates. While training with your battle buddies it does not take long to form a bond. As you go along this bond deepens and you actually start doing things for your teammates. In moving that forward it is your duty to be able to come to your teammates aid in a time of need. Weather it be a training accident or actual battle wound you need to be able to do whatever it takes to help your teammate survive the situation. If you have no training in gunshot wound care you will be at a total loss as for what to do if it happens. If you train, fight, with me I want you to have the knowledge and training to be able to keep me alive if something happeneds. Not that TC3 will keep everyone alive, it wont, but to die needlessly because no one knows how to apply and manage a tourniquet would be a total waste of a human life.

In a tactical pistol class I took last year the instructor explained why you should always carry a gunshot wound kit in your range bag. He went on to explain that in all actuality, discounting SHTF, we would likely encounter an actual gunshot wound at a shooting range. So it made great sense to have a kit with you when at the range. He also was adamant about having a tourniquet and some dressings with you, in your pants, when you carry a gun. The reasoning being if you were shot, emergency help takes time to get to the scene and you might need to keep yourself from bleeding out while waiting. This all made sense to me so I sought out training.

In seeking gunshot wound care training I found something very interesting, it is very hard to find. I searched for months and finally settled on a Red Cross First Aid class, which I highly recommend . Although helpful still not gunshot wound care training.

When Max offered TC3 I will venture a guess I was the first person to sign up. I have all of the gear, I have been carrying it around with me for months but I still didn’t really know how to use it. I read everything I could about using my gear but could I really come to someones aid in a meaningful way?

After taking Max’s TC3 class I can say YES, I can. I feel confident enough after taking TC3 that if you are in survivable condition you will not die because I didn’t have a clue what to do.

Can I access your injuries and apply intimidate measures to keep you from bleeding out? Yes I can. We were given a Combat Casualty Assessment sheet to follow in an actual emergency. That is now in my range bag with my kit. If I go into the field there will be one in my shirt pocket.

There are many more steps to Combat Casualty Care and I feel fairly confident I can do all of them if need be. You may not want to be the first person I stick with a chest decompression needle but I bet I won’t let you die. Maxes instruction has given me the confidence in myself to be willing and able to jump right in and fix what needs to be fixed in an emergency.

This class is more valuable than you might think. Take this class for the sake of those that you fight alongside. If for no other reason this class is a huge self confidence builder. If you can perform this kind of care, performing other first aid duties should be easy as pie.