NMCB 28 Reservists Learn Combat Lifesaving Skills

GULFPORT, Miss. (NNS) -- Forty Reservists from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 28 earned their certifications in Combat Lifesaving during Military Training Annual Training from March 19 to April 2.

Combat Lifesavers, a course created and taught by the Army in the past, was adopted by the Navy in August 2004 in order to increase chances of survival in combat.

During the classroom phase of each of the two four-day courses, students became familiar with general combat first aid; medical defenses to chemical, biological, and radiological attacks; inserting an intravenous drip; and they became certified in cardio-pulmonary resuscitation. Students also had the opportunity to learn about cutting-edge medical technology, including the use of QuikClot, a powder clotting agent that saves lives in the field. The students then spent more than two days in the field putting these new skills into practice.

The class included both corpsmen and non-medical personnel. Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Matthew Renner of NMCB 28, Det. 03 said the class was "a good refresher for corpsmen, and it's good for us to know what skills and limitations are so that we know how best to utilize the first responders."

Equipment Operator 2nd Class Jeff Preece, course instructor from 20th Seabee Readiness Group, taught both of NMCB 28's classes during the evolution, his tenth and eleventh to date, and was impressed with the battalion's capabilities after instruction. He taught the first class in August and has since traveled the country to various battalion headquarters and training facilities, teaching Seabees to deal with combat medical emergencies likely to occur in theater.

"NMCB 28 has done a great job," he said. "If they can give people extra time for medical help to arrive, this will save lives."

Students left the class as certified combat lifesavers, and in theater will be issued a medicbag of all the supplies necessary to complete their medical first responder mission.

"It was a very thorough, very good school," said Construction Electrician Constructionman Karl Werner, Det. 15, "and I feel quite confident that I could help save a few lives and get people back safely if the need arose."

For related news, visit the Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 28 Navy NewsStand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/nmcb28.