Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras –
A team with the 571st Mobility Support Advisory Squadron (MSAS), based out of Travis Air Force Base, California, and Joint Task Force-Bravo (JTF-B) trained on elements of Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) with Honduran military personnel, August 2-6.
Air Advisors and JTF-B personnel trained with and exercised TCCC alongside Honduran military counterparts. The primary purpose of this event was to train U.S. forces and conduct training that supports the U.S. unit’s mission essential tasks. Partnerships were built as four Honduran military members and 20 U.S. military personnel trained alongside each other to quickly and effectively respond to life-threatening injuries that could occur while operating in the region or in a hostile environment.
“The purpose is to prepare our U.S. service members for any combat situation they may find themselves in,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Chantel Armstrong, Air Advisor with the 571st MSAS. “We must be ready to deploy any time and any place. The ability to train alongside the Honduran military was an excellent opportunity to hone skills while building on the lasting partnership between our two countries.”
The U.S. requires TCCC as a standardized process across the force; however, partner nation military forces worldwide are familiar with lifesaving skills and procedures to render medical aid to trauma casualties in the field with the purpose of increasing survivability. This event was an opportunity for U.S. forces to train alongside Honduran military personnel, increasing U.S. forces’ readiness while building upon commitment and partnership between the two nations.
“It’s important to train alongside our partners because we share the same values,” said Armstrong. “We are committed to the peace and prosperity of our nations and our hemisphere.”
The training ensured strong bonds were formed with partner nations in Central and South America, and demonstrated partnership through interoperability by integrating and training alongside partners.
“This has been a great experience,” said Honduran Air Force Lt. Jose Padilla Galo. “We identified how our body works and important knowledge that can save many lives, both in combat and in our daily lives, since this can be applied during any accident and not only during war. Wherever we are, we will be able to assist and help someone survive.”
U.S. and Honduran forces trained together over a five-day period and focused on emergency care, tourniquet placement, carrying patients, trauma assessments, hemorrhage control, airway and respiratory management, splints for different types of injuries including burns and fractures, and evacuation procedures.