OKEECHOBEE, Fla. — Two independent duty medical technicians from the 347th Operations Support Squadron at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., completed a tactical combat casualty care course, Sept. 21-22, here. 

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jose Oregon and Senior Airman Michael Triana learned advanced instructor techniques and brushed up on their own medical skills during the two-day course.  They plan to start a similar training program at Moody for the battlefield Airmen in the 347th Rescue Group. 

TCCC has become the standard of battlefield medicine for rescue Airmen because it provides critical skills which enable them to make a lifesaving difference downrange. 

“This training is important because it provides a tool each individual, not only medics, will have to intervene in the battlefield,” said Alex Marco, TCCC instructor. “They're learning how to address three components of battlefield trauma: hemorrhage, breathing and respiratory problems, which are the main killers. By the end of the class they will be able to address life threatening injuries that they can mitigate.” 

In order to bolster the participant’s lifesaving medical skills, the instructors simulated combat scenarios using smoke, fireworks and live-fire variables to stress the medics and reinforce muscle memory for use in real-world scenarios. 

“They’re out there in the heat in full body armor, and they're shooting, dragging mannequins and maneuvering on the range,” said Don Deyo, TCCC instructor. “When their heart rate is elevated out on the range in stressful scenarios and they have to perform these skills, it’s about as close to the real, stressful environment that they're going to experience. After every (scenario) they pulled out bits and pieces that they're going to take with them and pass on to everybody else at their unit, which, across the board, is going to increase survivability and save lives.” 

Triana says the intensity of the live-fire course provided him with a unique experience, which will ultimately help him provide a more realistic course at Moody. 

“I've been in the live-fire action so I know what’s going to happen,” said Triana. “I know that people are going to endure different stressors and being able to react to those stressors is important because at the end of the day you might save a life. These skills will definitely be used to further training back at the unit, not only are we going to train the people that we work with who are also IDMTs, but our pararescuemen and aircrew members. Through this course, the Air Force gets better medics who are highly qualified to provide medicine in austere environments overseas.

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