First Illinois Air National Guard Unit Completes Combat Life Saver Course

Story and Photos by Sgt. Michael Camacho

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Army Sgt. Daniel Brown, the Combat Life Saver course instructor shows Tech. Sgt. Luis Pozo of Chicago, with the 183rd Security Forces Squadron how to properly apply pressure and dress a wound.

SPRINGFIELD, IL (01/13/2011)(readMedia)-- Approximately 20 Airmen with the Illinois Air National Guard's 183rd Security Forces Squadron completed the Illinois Army National Guard's Combat Life Saver (CLS) course Jan. 13 at the Illinois Military Academy on Camp Lincoln in Springfield.

This is the first time Illinois Air National Guardsmen have completed their Army counterpart's training as a unit. The training is preparation for a deployment to Afghanistan in the spring.

Traditionally CLS is an Army course with only one or two Airmen participating sporadically, said Staff Sgt. Gerald Davenport of Girad, the combat medic training manager with 129th Regional Training Institute (RTI) in Springfield. The medical response course taught by the Air Force is not as combat injury focused as Army training, he said.

CLS has evolved with the war and combat operations, said Sgt. Daniel Brown of Sprinfield, the CLS course instructor with the 129th RTI. It is medical aid training that allows Soldiers and Airmen to help one another if they suffer a combat-related injury.

Much of the civilian-based medical response training teaches to start with airway, breathing and circulation checks, said Brown.

"This course, with studies the Army has done, we've added hemorrhage and bleeding control before airway, breathing and circulation," said Brown. "In a wartime situation that is the major cause of death."

In the combat environment, medical aid can help prolong an injured Solder or Airmen's life until they can receive better medical aid, said Brown. The Airmen learn to check for bleeding and how to apply pressure dressings and tourniquets to control and stop potentially fatal blood lose.

The training is comprehensive and teaches servicemembers how to treat wounds and bleeding said Davenport. It teaches enough to aid a medic and help assist the wounded.

"After the training they're not medics or have all a medic's skills, but they still are a Combat Life Saver," said Davenport.

Airman 1st Class Aaron Grover of Lincoln, a security force airman with the 183rd, said the CLS gave a much more in-depth understanding of combat medical aid than basic training.

"It teaches more detailed information on how to provide medical aid on the battlefield," said Grover.

Davenport said there are things the Air and Army Guard can learn from each other. Both have a slightly different culture, but in the end serve the same mission and purpose for the people of Illinois. The integration of the two military branches and the learning from one another helps aid the readiness of the Illinois National Guard, said Davenport.

"I think it makes the Air Guard more mission capable and it makes the Army Guard more mission capable," said Davenport.