Desirie Carson, a combat medic specialist assigned to Task Force Orion, 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, New York Army National Guard, instructs Armed Forces of Ukraine soldiers on how to apply a tourniquet during 'all service member' medical training in Grafenwoehr, Germany, February 23, 2023. The answer was clear: More medical training. It’s typical for medics to be present at a range during training, and hoping to be as useful as possible, Whitler told CNN she spoke with a Ukrainian leader on the ground to see what else they might need. Christina Whitler, the field artillery squadron physician assistant, were among the medics on-site last May as Ukrainians were training on M777 Howitzers.

Alexis Ballard, a combat medic, who helped start the medical training program in Germany, told CNN.īallard and Capt.

“Just knowing and keeping in the back of our minds that everything we were doing and saying would have that direct impact on their ability to save lives, and to save each other, and to prolong their lives during their fight for their country – it definitely is going to I think stick with us for the rest of our careers,” Sgt. And while it may not be as high profile as that on tanks, Patriot missile systems, or combined arms tactics, it could arguably have an even more immediate impact on the battlefield. US troops have been providing critical medical instruction and combat casualty care to Ukrainians at Grafenwoehr Training Area in Germany for almost a year, in between other significant training on weapon systems. For US troops, the training is nothing new: Applying tourniquets, clearing someone’s airway, recognizing signs of traumatic brain injuries.īut to the Ukrainian troops receiving it, the training is literally a matter of life or death on the battlefield in the war against Russia.

Icon of brain