9781422287781

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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.