somedic

Dust: The design of the old M-5 bag brings back memories! I always figured that the person that designed the thing never had to use it. The straps were a definite torture to users on a light patrol. I often mounted my M-5 under the top flap of my ruck sack. I liked the amount of gear you could carry in the M-5 but little else . Thanks for the input here. Somedic

EMTKelly: You have been given good advice on the subject so far. It sounds like you got a problem with procrastination and a lack of confidence. The sooner you get yourself on the street (ride time ) the better off you will be. Let your preceptor hammer you if that makes them feel good about themselves. Look your preceptor in the eye. (to show you are not a push over) Mind your manners and DO THE BEST YOU CAN. Somedic

SSG: Try www.tacmedsolutions.com. This pack looks like a "just the basics" pack for tactical field care. I like the look of it so far because you can mount it on top of a ruck sack as well as carry it as a stand alone aid bag/pack Somedic

Anyoe here use/used the R-aid medical pack by Tactical Medical Solutions? My unit is ordering some for the medics. Somedic

Jtski and mtnldr: Let me preface the following suggestions Im about to give with this: Im not the final word in prehospital/tactical/hazmat medicine. The following are ideas Ive picked up either from my unit or other units since 9-11-01 1. Memorize nine line medevac requests...Also try to find those GTAs on the subject. Practice nine lines on the radios you will be using in combat. 2. Prewrite each soldier's FMC (field medical card). Obviously leave injuries and tx blank! let each soldier pack his own FMC in their IFAK 3. Practice patient evaluations in anything but normal circumstances. One example is on a firing range at night. If you are not firing or on details try that out. 4. Same thing for IV sticks. 5. Invest in a good head lamp with colored lens options. (tactikka XP by petzl is the heat in my oppinion). You will be glad you have one if you dont already. 6. Carry over with you multiple pairs of good trauma shears. 7. If you can find 10-14ga needles of greater than two inches before you go, carry those! 8. Practice applying CAT tourniquets to YOUR own extremities often! Think Im crazy? Think about it. Practice in full kit as often as you can. Im telling you this for a good reason. 9. Carry at least four tourniquets with you. 10. Make sure you have a pocket mask or better device for artificial respiration. The current CLS packing list has nothing for airway management except NPAs. (Army doesnt see the importance of airway barrier devices for CLS) 11. Asherman Chest seals are great. Plastic you precut for the same purpose is great too! 12. If you put a field dressing over a chest wound that you have achieved a flutter valve effect with plastic on like the CLS student book tells you to do...You will kill the patient starting with a tension pneumothorax. 13. The student book tells you that the nearest medic will resupply you with supplies you use from your aid bag...Dont count on that! The list could go on but stops here for now. I hope this helps Somedic

Jtski: PM in bound

Good One!

Mntldr: PM being sent back to you. Live tissue lab? Only one good place an enlisted medic can get that type of training ans it isnt in JackAss flats wyoming! Stay in touch Somedic

Dustdevil: Im catching up on posts here so this is late in coming but I stand behind my assertion that in a lot of places(in america) certified EMTs and Paramedics are and will be in demand. You are well aware nobody is beating down the doors to be medics. There is nothing fastasy like about the situation. With every best wish, Somedic

Mntldr: I sent you a PM two weeks ago...No response. I know very well that the term operator is a purple term..and that other branch SOF units call themselves "operator" a whole bunch. However you know where that term originated. You seem to be a squared away troop. Thats all I need to say about that. Look back in my posts to jetski: I have given the entire contents of a current CLS class. If you find something lacking when you get to the class let me know...I explained to you in my pm why I am so interested in how its all being taught to conventional units. Good luck with the class. I hope you get the training you need Stay in touch Somedic

jtski: It sounds like you are in a neat unit. The fact that you are in a reserve unit that does real world missions and not sit around on drill weekends is something to value. I dont know a lot about AF medical evacuation but it sounds like you will get some good training/education. I think you will have a rewarding time ahead for yourself. The information I gave you in my last post to you is the curriculum for the Army Combat Life Saver Course. I dont know and have never heard of CLS certification for members in other branches. I'll check into this today However, the information is the essential skills to make a difference in a wounded service man's life. . If you get a chance to go to a civilian TEMS course and the AF will foot the bill...GO! The term "operator" Well I know for a fact that there is only one way to earn that title and most people arent willing to take that walk. Let me know if I can help you in my limited capability. Thank you for your service to our country Somedic

p3medic: You forgot the baseball caps some regular troops i saw slip on once they were out of the FOB..It made them look cool like...real operators. The term operator: Im not sweating the small stuff here but why give yourself a title you dont deserve? Like calling a combat life saver trained soldier a medic. There is a group of real operators that find this civilian use of "operator" amusing. SRT what is that? Is that some feminist nazi group? Where I operate we are know as SWAT To hell with PC. Good luck to you and stay safe. With every best wish, Somedic

P3medic: You are on point about the specifics of "tactical" medicine". I do have a major problem witht this trend (you are not to blame here) of LEOs and "tactical medics" calling themselves "operators". There is only one unit in the US military that has coined the term operator. Now it seems that is the title to give your self when you get your black ninja suit. Aside from that your advice is sound. jtski: Youve got the inside knowlege on how your unit operates. Tactical medicine is no challenge for you or most people with common sense. You mentioned that you were in the AF reserve component? Im not sure what type of unit you are in but would like to know. Chances are you have developed good skills there. The following skills are available to Combat life saver students in the Army and i think that if you understand and practice these you will be fine in a tactical enviroment. 1. Understanding fully the concept of Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TC-3) 2. The application and removal (TC-3 encourages this) of tourniquets improvised and commercial. 3. Application of older field dressings, israeli dressings, chitosan dressings, and/or quick clot 4. initiating IV access. Saline locks included. 5. Placing oral and/or nasal airways 6. Improvising litters and utilizing the SKED litter 7. Calling for a 9 line MEDEVAC request (military application only) 8. Last but not least is application of chest seals and needle decompression. Knowing how to fill out a field medical card is useful if you are in the military but not a big deal. If you master these skills and keep in mind that these are the basics only ...you should be GTG in your transition from shield man to medic. Good luck and keep us posted. With every best wish, Somedic

Craig: Your last post had very good points that make me see the error of my ways and my disregard for a culture I trully have a great deal of respect for though not obvious in my lasts posts. BecksDad: Go ahead and let the axe fall if you must Sir. I could rattle the answers off to all your questions. What point are you getting at? With every best wish, Somedic

Scorpio: Delightful post there. You are a talented "insultist" to learn a thing or two from. Do this today: Resheath your sword, get a brew on and sort yourself out. With every best wish, Somedic

BecksDad: Good morning sir. The questions you asked in your last post are easily obtainable from any current EMT or Paramedic manual. I could answer your questions as you asked but then the impression could be formed that I typed the material straight from a text book. You indicated that you were just a dumb EMT but I beg to differ. My feelings based on previous posts you've written that indicate to me that you are in fact a smart EMT. With all good wishes, Somedic

Dewayne: Good response. I dont run from any one on this forum. If AK really wanted a question answered he would get that. Im not a bully as you suggest. I do point out things other people may think but never say. Proclaimed prowess? What the hell are you talking about...keep reading or reread...Im not into bragging. Dont mistake a mindset different than for "self proclaimed prowess" If you read my posts correctly you would have got an insight into what Im really like. Im glad to see you respond back to me..it shows you are not a push over. I see no reason to keep this dispute ongoing. My points are valid whether you think my attitude is justified or not.

Medic RN: Thanks for further distracting from the original subject of this thread. its great that you can mount an offensive against me here and concieve such witty little cut downs. Being a so-called "nurse officer" in the CAP gives you no insight in to military medicine no more than being a physical therapist prepares you to be a brain transplant surgeon. Civilian vs military interchangability? Depends on what you mean. Im in both arenas. Again how would you know? Instead of trying to satisfy your ego by trying to get me...why dont you tell us what a CAP nurse officer can add to this discussion in the way of Physicians in the field. Well Done! SOMEDIC

Akayakmedic: I'll start by saying that you labeled yourself a village idiot in your profile not me , but you have now proved it as well. I suggest you read all my post before becoming a drama queen. I did not address you in my last post. If you feel the need to defend other people here on the forum then good for you. I will be the very first medic on here to tell you that there are people with way more experience and BTDT military experience than me Some members of my unit are members here as well. There are plenty of examples of people I have developed respect for Asysin2leads and Dust devil are two examples. No I wont go into my education or other credentials. But know that Im satisfied working for the greater good (military and civilian jobs) I am satisfied and hope to never get any credit or recognition for any work I do. Nor do I brag about anything. Rescue 911 was a show you would never see me on. If you had read my posts before donning your drama queen crown you would have seen that I feel nearly the same way about physicians/nurses on an ambulance as you do. From now on why dont you stick to your business and let the person I addressed originally in my last posts make their own argument. SOMEDIC

Dewayne EMTB: To begin with If you are not a 17 year nationally registered paramedic in an aggressive EMS system and if you have never been deployed with several military units to several countries and practiced in austere enviroments..You are outside of your capability radius...to put it another way...you are out of your league in any dealings with me on this forum. Dont test my resolve. For the rest of you: If you go review my posts, I've indicated that there are certain times an EMS physician that knows the system well and can function without egomania would be an asset in some incidents but in a well established system this would be a rare occurrence. There are those of you that would be inclined to say that I'm the one with Egomania/Para God syndrome, but you would be wrong. I knew at an early age that I wanted to be a Paramedic. I believe in all EMS systems reaching their full operating potential. To my Aussie Friends: Ive worked with some of your troops before. I can say thank you for your participation in GWOT. SOMEDIC

One thing is for sure here: You dingo people stick together on something. It's common knowlege that Paramedics and EMS (modern version) were created in America.It seems to me that you aussies are lacking in the same thing that make American paramedics the best:..TESTICULAR FORTITUDE...Its what made us the greatest nation on earth and we started just like you in Dingoland Back on point...Im fully capable of managing bad scenes as a Paramedic in my system and will never need some "Dr Death medicine woman" getting in the way and spreading drama. One day you aussies can look forward to making it up to our level of professionalism and self reliance. Cheers, Beers and Kangaroos! SOMEDIC

Doctor Death (nice name): You would be bored over here in my system. Our paramedics never need our asses covered by doctors and nurses that should be in hospitals. you probably dont get a lot of calls because no one wants the extra drama, chaos, and "Im a doctor/nurse...I'll do what I want to" attitude that would come with your wagon of personalities. Ambulance control? I thought that was hitting the possum trying to cross the road while on a hot run to a scene. Oh and thanks for the complement you gave to us. Im glad you recognize that EMS is a hard job. I never thought of myself as a grasshopper...it must be a aussie thing. SOMEDIC

See zippy I know the UK better that you might have thought. You are up late! Whats your favorite brew? I figure you for a Sainsbury's tea or something of higher quality

Sir Zipper: You have a good point actually but I see physician guidance on a scene limited to major incidents and disaster medicine operations. Now about that curry house down the street!