Medics undergo sustained care training in preparation for overseas deployments
June 5, 2024 - Lt(N) Josh Ehnisz, Public Affairs Officer, 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group
In mid-May, the dedicated Health Services members from 1 Field Ambulance (1 Fd Amb), 1 Health Services Group and the High-Readiness Detachment took the initiative to enhance their medical care skills, demonstrating their unwavering commitment to delivering sustained care in a field environment.
This training, conducted at 3rd Canadian Division Support Base Edmonton, aimed to prepare the medics with as many of tools as possible before 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group begins its busy committed year.
“Large-scale combat operations will change the game,” said Master Warrant Officer Alicia Marshall, 1 Fd Amb Company Sergeant‑Major. “In previous, more recent wars, medical evacuation was more sustainable as we suffered fewer casualties. In a modern large-scale combat operation, we expect to have many more casualties.”
Medics have been putting together a variety of training packages for months. Many of these courses, including this one, have only been conducted by a select few units. Health Services personnel felt this adaptation to training is a practical solution that ensures medics have the tools they need until a more official doctrine is adopted across the Canadian Armed Forces.
Brigade Surgeon Major Aaron Lerner explained why the training course was developed.
“To prepare for the kinds of casualty situations we could face today, we developed this training so that our medics could get used to caring for patients longer term,” he said.
Throughout the course, the medics were put into scenarios where they delivered sustained care to soldiers for up to 12 hours. The course was developed based on some of the experiences members of the unit had with other units.
Caption
On May 14, 1 Field Ambulance, 1 Health Services Group and the High Readiness Detachment conduct a pilot training course at 3rd Canadian Division Support Base Edmonton to improve sustained medical care techniques for medics who are expected to deploy during 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group’s committed phase.
Photos by Lt(N) Josh Ehnisz, Public Affairs Officer, 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group
The triage process is very different when it comes to sustained care and balancing out the resources available, explained MWO Marshall.
“Medics may need to decide that soldiers in less critical conditions are a priority for evacuation because they have a better chance of survival. This is a tough decision, and these scenarios that you see today are designed to give medics a framework for making these kinds of decisions,” she said.
Many of the medics undergoing the training will be deploying with units over the next 18 months to missions all around the globe. The first unit to deploy, 1st Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, departed as part of the committed year at the end of the May.
The hope is training like this is adopted and implemented as part of doctrine so deploying medics are comfortable operating with their units even if external medical support is limited.
