Medics of the 2nd Medical Group are becoming a whole lot more lethal, in a good way.
With the implementation of the Tactical Combat Casualty Care guidelines and the TCCC training course, Barksdale’s medics are training to become increasingly proficient in providing first line trauma care and prehospital medicine in a combat zone.
“The goal of the 2nd Medical Group is to keep folks safe and healthy in all sorts of environments,” said Air Force Col. Erich Schroeder, 2nd Medical Group commander. “Whether it’s treating patients here in the clinic or providing care as we deploy and go into harm's way, this is what TCCC is all about.”
As the official guidelines of the U.S. Department of Defense, TCCC prioritizes decreasing preventable combat death by specifically training airmen on providing care under fire, tactical field care and tactical evacuation care.
TCCC’s heavy emphasis on combat specific medical care differs from previous training guidelines as it provides specialized training to regular forces.
“TCCC is not your average stateside Bossier City or Shreveport medical care -this is designed for combat,” said Air Force Lt. Col. John A. Camacho-Ayala, 2nd MDG health care integrator and director of medical management. “It was developed by Special Forces and after previous Secretary of Defense, James Mattis, saw the success rate of their preventative casualty deaths, it has since become the standard of care across the DOD.”