Tactical Medical Training Put to Use, by Jessie Blaine

You need competent training. MechMedic is offering courses right around the corner including one here in NC. Get it while you can. -NCS
From Tactical to Practical – Tactical Training Being Put to Use in Everyday Life. This is the third article in a series written to provide real examples of how tactical training was used in everyday life. The articles are extracted from the boring life of one of the Brushbeater students and pound member of the Mossy Oak Militia.
Tactical first aid training like TCCC is a must for anyone who wants to care for their family, community, and others. This training easily converts to real-life, practical situations where you need to help others. Tactical first-aid training is a valuable skill, but you don’t have to leave these skills behind when you drop your ruck and grab a briefcase. This type of training develops real-world skills and creates a mindset advantage that others don’t have. With proper training, you will be able to bring calm to chaos.
As a firefighter, I’ve responded to plenty of incidents. I’ve arrived on-scene with a fully stocked firetruck and plenty of support. But emergencies aren’t scheduled, and they don’t always happen when you are surrounded by a well-equipped team of first responders. As a good father, strong neighbor, and effective leader, it is your responsibility to care for those around you. You need training, gear, and the right mindset. Not only does the training enable you for the battlefield, but it also gets you ready for the most basic incidents that happen every single day.
I recently made a trip to Dinosaur Valley State Park, where the simple lessons learned in tactical training came into play. “If you don’t have your gear with you, it doesn’t do any good!”
One of my kids had just walked through a dinosaur track in the Paluxy River when he cut the bottom of his foot on something under the water. He winced and when he lifted his foot out of the water, we saw a decent flow of watery-blood dripping from his foot. He hobbled over to a dry rock, sat down and simply asked for my first aid kit.
He didn’t ask IF I had my first aid kit, he asked FOR the first aid kit. After 10 years of living life with this kid, he’s learned that I almost always have some type of first aid gear with me. I was prepared for this minor injury because of my training and mindset. I followed the recommendation to always keep a first aid kit with me. It is my responsibility to be ready. It is my responsibility to lug around the first aid kit. It’s my responsibility to keep training current. It’s my responsibility…all of it.
That’s the advantage you get with a class like TCCC that you don’t get anywhere else. It’s the mindset. The mindset of “It will happen. I can be ready. I can make a difference.”. Far too many people today are mindlessly navigating their way through life with the exact opposite way of thinking and it’s just wrong. They say, “It won’t happen to me. It’s not my responsibility. I’ll just call 9-1-1 and they will save me.”. This is dangerous thinking and can be changed with solid, effective training.
After each class I’m in, I do the same thing as everyone else. I cling to what works for me and archive the rest. I assess my conditions, apply what was learned and develop guidelines that work for me. That’s the responsible way, the practical way and the sensible way. Having a large family that is active and constantly on the move means that I need to have a first-aid kit with me all the time. And I mean, all the time, even when walking through dinosaur foot prints!
If someone is just starting out or needs a few refresher courses, here are some options. This schedule takes you from bandaging a cut foot all the way to applying tourniquets on the wounded.

1. Stop the Bleed
2. Red Cross First Aid and CPR
3. TCCC

Being ready to respond isn’t difficult, it is deliberate. Taking the time to train requires some effort, but it’s not overwhelming. And it’s something to be done with your family, community, church group or whatever. Having as many like-minded people as possible, with skills, gear, and mindset can be a life saver…literally. No matter which class you take, here are a few tips to make the most of your training.
Take notes in class. Make a commitment to review them within 24 hours of the conclusion of the class. Then, review them again around day 7 and then day 30. There are enough academic studies that recommend this study technique for knowledge retention. Use your smart phone to set a reminder!
 
Evaluate your likely needs. Do an honest assessment of your likely scenarios. If you’re surrounded by kids all day, you need to be ready for the boo-boos. If you carry a concealed weapon, you better have medical equipment with you. If you can make it bleed, you should also be ready to stop the bleed. Sure, an asteroid could strike the Earth and cause a catastrophic meltdown of society, but that’s not likely. There is a huge difference between possibility and probability.
Acquire the necessary gear. Get the supplies needed and develop a way to carry them. Don’t scrimp on cheap medical gear. I remember years ago when taking a motorcycle safety course, a student asked the instructor, “How much should I look to spend on a helmet, jacket and gloves?”. Without hesitation, the instructor asked, “How much is your skin worth?”. Don’t cheap out here and use caution when buying on Amazon because there is counterfeit equipment floating around out there.
 
 
Practice, Practice, Practice. Knowledge fades, skills perish, so set-up a practice schedule. Literally. Schedule yourself time to practice your medical response skills. It’s easy to set-up a few scenarios and just practice. A few minutes every couple of weeks will go a long way when it comes to applying a tourniquet or needing to do a patient assessment. And don’t just practice in a perfect setting, with adequate lighting with the air conditioning humming along. Practice when its dark outside. When its hot or cold. Train when your tired or when it’s raining. A real emergency can’t be schedule, but your training can!


With the turbulent times we are living in, you must be ready with training, gear and mindset. No matter if it is a boo-boo or a bullet hole, your community of like-minded teammates need you to be at your best. It is a huge responsibility and there are people counting on you, so don’t let them down. Get trained. Get equipped and go help someone.
 
Jessie Blaine is a former Marine living in refuge somewhere in the Lone Star State.  He is in a perpetual state of learning, which is the second best state to be in, with the Lone Star state being the first.