|
Medical Lessons Learned – Northern Afghanistan
Roger that, Peregrino.
Presenter: MSG Henry Lukacs, German Army, Special Operations
Lecture: Medical Lessons Learned – Northern Afghanistan
Discussion of lessons learned during/after IED attack in Konduz. IED attack was used to set up ambush, but instead of stopping in kill zone, convoy of ANA and German SOF punched through, stopped after about 100 meters, set up perimeter to engage threats, evaluate casualties. Ambush was aborted since target force kept rolling. Resulted in several severe injuries (amputations, facial fractures, extremity fractures), and other minor injuries. No damage to body armor or underlying body parts. During casualty evaluation and stabilization, non-combat trained personnel succumbed to psychological stressors and collapsed causing SOF medics to have to evaluate/respond to imminent threats, attend to injured soldiers, and attend to collapsed physician. Air evacuation assets were distant and off-line, no support readily available, and CASEVAC took much longer than necessary.
Lessons Learned:
- Accompanying medical personnel should have combat training and experience so they are an asset and not a liability (everyone on the battlefield is a combatant – my own addition)
- MEDEVAC and support should be online prior to mission initiation and possibility of hostile engagement
- Punch through ambush to limit hostile fire effects
- Body armor saves lives
- Tourniquets save lives
__________________
"And dying in your beds many years from now, would you be willing to trade all the days from this day to that for one chance, just one chance to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they'll never take our freedom?"- Braveheart
de Oppresso Liber
|