TCCC helps Airmen save lives

by Senior Airman Nicole Sikorski
86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

8/17/2015 - BAUMHOLDER, Germany -- First responders from Ramstein Air Base, Germany came together to train on urban evacuation procedures at the bi-annual Tactical Combat Casualty Care course Aug. 3 through 6, on Baumholder, Germany.

More than 20 Airmen from the 435th Contingency Response Support Squadron, 435th Security Forces Squadron and the 86th Medical Group participated in the course, which tested them in situations that could occur in a hostile environment.

According to Tech Sgt. Jose Obregon, 435th Contingency Response Group independent duty medical technician, TCCC is an extremely efficient system.

"It has the highest survivability rate in combat when taking [care of] casualties because you are preventing people from getting injured," said Obregon.

All U.S. Air Force special operations groups incorporate TCCC into their training because of its success in the field.

During the course, they practiced urban medical evacuation techniques, close-quarters combat, troop leading procedures and experienced trauma simulations.

Throughout the first two days of the classroom portion, instructors took students through drills to familiarize them with combat life saver training and self-aid and buddy care.

After reviewing these skills they taught students the steps that they should take when they come in contact with enemy fire.  The lesson includes how to gain fire superiority and treat uncontrolled bleeding with a tourniquet while continuing tactical field care with the medical training they receive.

Finally, they took the Airmen to the training range to practice the techniques before being tested on their performance during the field training exercise.

"It's been a much needed experience, especially for 435th (CRG) members," said Staff Sgt. Andrew Bowers, 435th CRSS Ground Combat Readiness Regional Training Center NCO in charge of medical operations. "For those who are not defenders (security forces members) or medics, it allows us to integrate on another level. ... It's good to train together because we work closely with them," said Bowers.

"It's important to do this training because not only are you equipping a small group of people with these skills, but they will pass it on to other deploying members," said Obregon. "In turn, those members are getting a piece of the best medical training offered by the Department of Defense."

This training will continue to save lives and prevent injuries as it is passed on throughout the Air Force.

Face of Defense: Airman Saves Little Girl at Beach

By Air Force Airman 1st Class Tom Brading

Joint Base Charleston Public Affairs Office

JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. – Air Force Staff Sgt. Robert Proffitt reacted quickly at the beach to save the life of a drowning little girl.

It started out as a beautiful weekend summer day on the ocean at Sullivan's Island, S.C.

Desperate cries for help were echoing faintly over the rolling ocean waves. The pleas were from a 7-year-old girl, pulled out past the breakers by a violent riptide and with every scream her weakened body gave in a little more to the powerful ocean current.

Proffitt, who’s assigned to the 373rd Training Squadron here, was nearby enjoying a day at the beach with his wife and children. He was wading far out in the water and heard the girl’s cries for help.

"I could see her more than 100 yards from the beach," Proffitt said. "I didn't have time to think about it. I just reacted."

Proffitt swam out to the girl. By the time he reached her, all he could see was her hair swaying effortlessly with the tide. Her body had slipped beneath the water. He pulled her head above water and she took a deep breath, but she had no energy to move.

"Had I arrived shortly after the moment I did, I would have never seen her," Proffitt said.

After grabbing the girl, he looked back toward the beach -- he had never been this far from shore. He couldn't feel the ocean bottom and the girl was clutching to his back as he slowly began paddling toward the beach.

"Every movement was a struggle," Proffitt said. "I had already used so much energy. Just keeping my head above water seemed to be a challenge. However, I kept thinking to myself: 'Do not let her die,' and so I kept fighting."

Proffitt continued fighting until he reached the shore. Once he felt the sand under his feet, he knew he was close enough to yell for help. A group of people brought both Proffitt and the girl safely back onto the beach.

The moment Proffitt was on dry land, he fell to his knees and stared up into the sky.

"It was a miracle," he said.

The little girl was safely returned to her parents.

However, this wasn't the first time Proffitt was challenged with the task of saving someone's life.

Months prior to the beach incident, Proffitt happened to be at the right place at the right time during the lunch hour at work. Air Force Staff Sgt. Michael Semmerling was eating a turkey sandwich when the unthinkable happened.

"I was eating turkey because it's supposed to be healthy," Semmerling said. "But, after I took a bite, I began choking. I couldn't breathe.”

Semmerling attempted to cough the turkey up by pounding his chest with his fist, but nothing seemed to work. He ran down the hall, his face turning from red to blue, when he stumbled into Proffitt's office.

"When he came in to my office, I had no idea what was wrong," Proffitt said. "But when I looked at his face, it was shades of blue, red and purple. I knew I had to react."

Without hesitation, Proffitt jumped from his desk and spun Semmerling, a 220-pound man, 180 degrees with ease and began doing the Heimlich maneuver. Proffitt continued monitoring the condition of his friend, and after a few thrusts, the turkey that was stuck in Semmerling's throat shot across the room.

"If it wasn't for Sgt. Proffitt, I wouldn't be here today," Semmerling said. "He is a hero."

Proffitt insists that he isn't a hero.

"I'm no hero," Proffitt said. "I've just been put into situations that required me to react. The Air Force has taught me lifesaving skills, and the importance of reacting quickly."

Face of Defense: Guardsman Aids Injured at Indiana State Fair

By Army Sgt. John Crosby

120th Public Affairs Detachment

INDIANAPOLIS, Aug. 17, 2011 – An Indiana Air National Guardsman leaped into action to help others here Aug. 13 when a concert stage collapsed at the Indiana State Fair, killing five people and injuring at least 40 others.

Air Force Master Sergeant James Stranahan of Shelburn, Ind., assigned to the 53rd Civil Support Team, was in the third row of the stands when the stage collapsed onto about 50 people. He jumped over the guard rail and took action.

Stranahan, a senior medic, triaged, treated and helped to evacuate more than a dozen injured people. Having responded to mass casualty situations before on deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, he said, the tragedy at the fair hit very close to home.

“In the military, there’s always that potential [for death or injury],” Stranahan said. “But, an accident of this magnitude, it’s tough. I’m an older guy; I feel like I can handle it. I feel bad for those kids that have to live with this memory for the rest of their lives.”

Stranahan has more than 29 years in the military, including more than 20 years in the Indiana Army and Air National Guard. His mission with the 53rd CST is to respond to civil emergencies, from natural disasters to attacks from weapons of mass destruction.

Stranahan attended the fair with this girlfriend, he said, noting they’d watched the opening act from the sand pit located just in front of the stage. Stranahan and his girlfriend returned to their seats after the opening act, he said.

About 30 minutes later, tragedy struck. Stranahan described the strong and sudden 60-mph gust of wind that collapsed the stage.

“Within just a few minutes, the wind picked up and the temperature dropped,” Stranahan said. “I could see just a wall of dust and debris tear through the Ferris wheel.”

Stranahan said the wind then hit the stage, causing it to fall within seconds.

“With all my military training, and the medical side, I knew I needed to spring into action to help these injured people,” he said.

“After the collapse of the stage, we started using whatever we could to help evacuate the casualties out from underneath the stage. We used the chairs that were knocked down -- we folded them up and used them as litters. Guys were cutting pieces of tarp, taking pieces of the collapsed stage -- whatever they could find -- to help these injured people.”

Stranahan said he and others worked for more than an hour through the storm to try to help as many people as they could. He treated head wounds, lacerations, broken bones and other injuries, and said he was amazed by the multitude of bystanders who stepped forward. Doctors, nurses, and service members sprang into action to aid the injured, he said.

“It was very gratifying to me, being military and me being a Hoosier, to see so many people come together so quickly from all different walks of life to help save those injured folks,” Stranahan said.

Stranahan’s enlisted supervisor praised his actions at the fair.

“His many experiences range from deploying for Operation Desert Storm and Desert Shield, Operation Iraqi Freedom, to responding to Hurricane Katrina,” said Army 1st Sgt. Tyson Johnson, 53rd CST. “All of this contributes to his immediate responsible reaction to the incident at the fairgrounds.”

Combustible Dust: The Threat to First Responders

Editor's Note: Based on the combat and non-combat emergency situations military personnel face, this subject was thought applicable to servicemembers.

On December 19, 2008, Conversations with Heroes at the Watering Hole will feature a discussion with John Astad and Bob LaPlante on preventing and mitigating fire and explosion from combustible dust. According to OSHA, “any combustible material (and some materials normally considered noncombustible) can burn rapidly when in a finely divided form. If such a dust is suspended in air in the right concentration, it can become explosive.

The force from such an explosion can cause employee deaths, injuries, and destruction of entire buildings. Such incidents have killed scores of employees and injured hundreds over the past few decades.” As an example, “In January 2003, devastating fires and explosions destroyed a North Carolina pharmaceutical plant that manufactured rubber drug-delivery components. Six employees were killed and 38 people, including two firefighters, were injured. The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB), an independent Federal agency charged with investigating chemical incidents, issued a final report concluding that an accumulation of a combustible polyethylene dust above the suspended ceilings fueled the explosion. The explosion severely damaged the plant and caused minor damage to nearby businesses, a home, and a school.”

Program Date: December 19, 2008
Program Time: 2100 hours, Pacific
Topic: Combustible Dust: The Threat to First Responders
Listen Live: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement/2008/12/20/Combustible-Dust-The-Threat-to-First-Responders

About the Guests
John Astad is Director and Research Analyst of the Combustible Dust Policy Institute. At the Institute, John tracks and researches combustible dust related fires and explosions. The results of this business intelligence data can be utilized by a myriad of stakeholders in the public and private sectors in developing cost effective strategies in assessing risk concerning combustible dust hazards in the workplace. John Astad holds a BS Business and Public Administration from the University of Houston-Clear Lake, with a major in Environmental Management.

Bob LaPlante is the General Manager at United Training Specialists (Phoenix, AZ). He has 29 years of power plant experience in Engineering, Fire Protection and Emergency Response Planning. His responsibility have included developing emergency response plans for power generating plants with regards to meeting OSHA, NFPA and DHS regulations and standards; and, developing emergency response power plant training, facility pre-plans, standard operating procedures and fire protection equipment maintenance and training programs for plant Emergency Response Team members. Bob LaPlante is a member of the NFPA, Edison Electric Institute’s Fire Committee, International Association of Fire Chiefs, the Arizona Fire Chiefs Association and the Arizona Fire Training Association.

About the Watering Hole
The Watering Hole is police slang for a location cops go off-duty to blow off steam and talk about work and life. Sometimes funny; sometimes serious; but, always interesting.

About the Host
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster was a sworn member of the Los Angeles Police Department for 24 years. He retired in 2003 at the rank of Lieutenant. He holds a bachelor’s from the Union Institute and University in Criminal Justice Management and a Master’s Degree in Public Financial Management from California State University, Fullerton; and, has completed his doctoral course work. Raymond E. Foster has been a part-time lecturer at California State University, Fullerton and Fresno; and is currently a Criminal Justice Department chair, faculty advisor and lecturer with the Union Institute and University. He has experience teaching upper division courses in law enforcement, public policy, Criminal Justice technology and leadership. Raymond is an experienced author who has published numerous articles in a wide range of venues including magazines such as Government Technology, Mobile Government, Airborne Law Enforcement Magazine, and Police One. He has appeared on the History Channel and radio programs in the United States and Europe as subject matter expert in technological applications in law enforcement.

Listen, call, join us at the Watering Hole.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement/2008/12/20/Combustible-Dust-The-Threat-to-First-Responders

Program Contact Information
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA
editor@police-writers.com
909.599.7530