9781422287781

Extreme Survival In the Military

SURVIVAL FIRST AID

Extreme Survival In the Military Learning Mental Endurance for Survival Ropes & Knots for Survival Survival at Sea Survival Equipment Survival First Aid Survival in the Wilderness Surviving by Trapping, Fishing, & Eating Plants Surviving Captivity Surviving Hostage Rescue Missions Surviving Natural Disasters Surviving the World’s Extreme Regions: Desert, Arctic, Mountains, & Jungle Surviving with Navigation & Signaling

Extreme Survival In the Military

SURVIVAL FIRST AID

PATRICKWILSON Introduction by Colonel John T. Carney. Jr., USAF-Ret. President, Special Operations Warrior Foundation

MASON CREST

Mason Crest 450 Parkway Drive, Suite D Broomall, PA 19008 www.masoncrest.com

Copyright © 2015 by Mason Crest, an imprint of National Highlights, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the publisher. Printed and bound in the United States of America. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Series ISBN: 978-1-4222-3081-7 ISBN: 978-1-4222-3086-2 ebook ISBN: 978-1-4222-8778-1 Cataloging-in-Publication Data on file with the Library of Congress. Picture Credits Corbis: 12, 15, 21, 23, 33, 43, 52; TRH: 28, 44; US Dept. of Defense: 6, 8, 14, 26, 36, 54, 56 Illustrations courtesy of Amber Books and the following supplied by Patrick Mulrey: 17, 19, 24, 25, 30, 38, 39, 40, 46, 47, 48, 49. IMPORTANT NOTICE The survival techniques and information described in this publication are for educational use only. The publisher is not responsible for any direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages as a result of the uses or misuses of the techniques and information within. DEDICATION This book is dedicated to those who perished in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and to the Special Forces soldiers who continually serve to defend freedom. ACKNOWLEDGMENT For authenticating this book, the Publishers would like to thank the Public Affairs Offices of the U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill AFB, FL.; Army Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, N.C.; Navy Special Warfare Command, Coronado, CA.; and the Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlbert Field, FL.

CONTENTS

Introduction

7 9

Preparation and Equipment Deciding on a Course of Action Breathing and Circulation Wounds, Bleeding, and Burns Bone, Joint, and Muscle Injuries

13 23 37 45 53 60 61 62 63 64

Poisons and Bites

Series Glossary of Key Terms Equipment Requirements

Useful Websites

Further Reading/About the Author

Index

7

INTRODUCTION Elite forces are the tip of Freedom’s spear. These small, special units are universally the first to engage, whether on reconnaissance missions into denied territory for larger, conventional forces or in direct action, surgical operations, preemptive strikes, retaliatory action, and hostage rescues. They lead the way in today’s war on terrorism, the war on drugs, the war on transnational unrest, and in humanitarian operations as well as nation building. When large scale warfare erupts, they offer theater commanders a wide variety of unique, unconventional options. Most such units are regionally oriented, acclimated to the culture and conversant in the languages of the areas where they operate. Since they deploy to those areas regularly, often for combined training exercises with indigenous forces, these elite units also serve as peacetime “global scouts” and “diplomacy multipliers,” a beacon of hope for the democratic aspirations of oppressed peoples all over the globe. Elite forces are truly “quiet professionals”: their actions speak louder than words. They are self-motivated, self-confident, versatile, seasoned, mature individuals who rely on teamwork more than daring-do. Unfortunately, theirs is dangerous work. Since “Desert One”—the 1980 attempt to rescue hostages from the U.S. embassy in Tehran, for instance—American special operations forces have suffered casualties in real world operations at close to fifteen times the rate of U.S. conventional forces. By the very nature of the challenges which face special operations forces, training for these elite units has proven even more hazardous. Thus it’s with special pride that I join you in saluting the brave men and women who volunteer to serve in and support these magnificent units and who face such difficult challenges ahead.

Colonel John T. Carney, Jr., USAF-Ret. President, Special Operations Warrior Foundation

U.S. Army soldiers attend to a “patient” during a simulated casualty exercise in 1998. All elite troops are trained in first-aid techniques.

Words to Understand Thermometer: Device used to measure the temperature of a person. Antiseptic: Cream/lotion that fights infection. Hypodermic: Injecting needle. Puritabs: Tablets that release chlorine to clean water and make it drinkable. Fracture: Chip, crack, or break. Artery: A major blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart.

9

PREPARATION AND EQUIPMENT

First aid is perhaps the most important part of elite soldiers’ training. It can help save their lives. Yet all good soldiers also know that prevention is better than cure. Their chances of survival are much greater if they have the right equipment and have done a lot of preparation. It is therefore worth taking a look at what goes into first-aid preparation before setting off on dangerous missions. Before launching themselves into remote or exposed places, troops need to make sure they are 100 percent fit. Even having a cold will make them think twice about taking part in an expedition. There aremany other factors that need to be considered. For example, it is important for elite troops going to places with a cold climate to have their teeth checked. (If a tooth is in any way diseased, low temperatures intensify the pain.) They make sure their feet are in good condition and that their boots feel comfortable. Blisters can be a serious problem to elite troops who are expected to cover many miles on foot quickly. A blister can lead to serious infections. Here are a number of the typical questions they ask themselves before setting off on a mission: What is the weather like? Is there a threat from monsoons, ice melts, or tornadoes? What health issues are there? Do they need any vaccinations? (This is necessary to combat such illnesses as cholera, tuberculosis, tetanus, yellow fever, small pox, and hepatitis.) What sort of vegetation is there? Where are the

A U.S. Army officer attends to a Royal Thai Marine during a mass casualty drill in Thailand.

10 survival first aid

Research Project Look at the list of basic first aid items a solder takes on page 11. Are there any that you don’t know anything

about? Or are there any that interest you more than the others? Choose three of these items and write them down. Now go online and look up everything you can about each of the items. What are their main uses? Can they be used for more than just first aid?

clean water sources? What type of surfaces will we be crossing? What are the patterns of sunrise/sunset? What are the most extreme possibilities for daytime/nighttime temperatures? First-aid kit Every member of the elite forces, whether they are in the British Special Air Service (SAS), the U.S. Special Forces, or U.S. Marine Corps carries a first-aid kit. The following is a guide to some of the basic items they take. Their packs will vary depending on which region they are visiting, either tropical, desert, or arctic, but essentially they will contain:

A survival first-aid kit showing some of the items that an elite soldier carries, including a scalpel, plasters, scissors, and bandages.

Preparation and Equipment 11

thermometer ; gauze dressing; scalpel blades (at least two); antiseptic swabs (at least five for cleaning smaller wounds and blisters); large safety pins; scissors; three green hypodermic needles (for removing splinters and draining blisters); fluid-replacement packet (helps replace fluids for conditions like diarrhea and burns; alternatively, mix eight teaspoons of salt with half a pint of water); puritabs (release chlorine to clean water; if the water is cloudy, troops will try and filter it first, then add an extra tablet; boiling water is also effective); painkillers; antacid tablets (for those suffering from indigestion); antidiarrhea tablets; bandages and wound dressings; sunblock; and lip balm. Often it is essential to travel fast. Packs must not be heavy and troops sometimes cannot take much medical equipment. A basic Navy SEALs medical kit is not heavy and takes up little space, but it still includes treatments for breathing and circulation difficulties, bleeding, breaks and fractures , burns, infections, and pain. It contains: blood volume expander, infusion fluid, dressings, artery forceps, suture kit, fracture straps, burns dressing, antibiotic tablets, antibiotic in injectible form, painkillers, anti-inflammatory cream, and creams for fungal infections. Text-Dependent Questions 1. Why shouldn’t a soldier take part in an expedition if he is not feeling well? 2. List five of the questions that each soldier should ask himself before setting off on a mission. 3. Why wouldn’t a soldier be able to bring a heavy pack of first aid items?

Words to Understand

Casualty: An injured person. Recovery position: A common position in which to place casualties, on their side.

Resuscitation: Process of helping a person to breathe. Pulse: Beat of the heart, which sends blood around the body. Dislocations: Joints out of place.

13

DECIDING ON A COURSE OF ACTION

Troops are thoroughly trained in dealing with an emergency situation since it can be very shocking. Their first response should be to take deep breaths and then begin to assess the situation calmly, however traumatic it might appear. They then follow this step-by-step procedure. First, it is important to see if there are any new dangers present and establish who has been injured. In any accident situation, where there may be injured people, always check for dangers to yourself before approaching victims. Such dangers include electric cables, fires, gas pipes, falling debris, dangerous structures, or wreckage. If there are two or more persons present, one is put in charge to avoid confusion. They then follow the DATE system: • D iagnosis—working out quickly what the patient’s illness or injury is. • A ssessment—working out the best form of first-aid treatment. • T reatment—giving treatment to the injured person. • E vacuation—making sure that the patient is taken to a proper medical center or doctor if he or she is very ill or badly injured.

This soldier, taking part in a training exercise at Fort Polk, Louisiana, is taught to identify medical emergencies quickly. Once the problem is identified, he must then take appropriate action.

14 survival first aid

Access to a helicopter plays a vital role in ensuring the patient gets to a medical center in time for life-saving treatment.

Throughout this time, troops like the U.S. Marine Corps are expected to keep the injured person as calm as possible. They will try to do this by talking quietly but confidently, to reassure the patient. Elite forces are trained to: • Shield the patient from distressing sights of other persons injured or killed. • Not reveal too much detail if the patient’s injuries are severe but to keep the focus on the positive things the patient can do to make the situation better. Even if injured soldiers are deeply unconscious, it is likely that they will still have some understanding of what is being said around them. It is therefore important to keep talking in the usual reassuring manner.