NHARNG Combat Medic Pre-Deployment Readiness Course

For these medics, readiness is more than a requirement. It is a responsibility. Simulated casualties, ranging from allergic reactions to traumatic injuries, challenged combat medics to respond quickly and effectively. The realistic training environment allowed each soldier to think strategically, build confidence in their skills, and work together effectively in operational conditions. Scenarios like this were at the heart of the 195th Regional Training Institute’s (RTI), New Hampshire Army National Guard (NHARNG) Combat Medic Pre-Deployment Readiness Course, designed to prepare medics for demands they may face during a deployment. “Medical skills are perishable; not everybody works in the medical field outside of drill weekend,” said Staff Sgt. Zackari Lepicier, medical readiness noncommissioned officer for the Medical Readiness Detachment, 54th Troop Command, NHARNG. “We have the opportunity to refresh and gain more knowledge beyond what we are taught at school.” Soldiers focused on strengthening unit cohesion and strategic thinking beyond the fundamentals taught during their initial entry training. As already qualified medics, soldiers advance their skills in current battlefield trauma protocols, prolonged field care, and unit-specific equipment integration. “I want my soldiers to move away from algorithmic thinking,” Lepicier said. “A lot of what we do has an equation, and I want them to move towards thinking as an individual clinician. They’ll need to be able to improvise, adapt, and overcome the situation with a new creative treatment plan.” The course combined hands-on medical training, realistic scenarios, and instructor guidance to help soldiers reinforce critical skills. Soldiers had the opportunity to work alongside one another to sharpen their medical skills and practice realistic scenarios that challenged them to think quickly and perform under pressure. “Medics come at varying levels of education and leave knowing how to take care of soldiers at a higher level than before,” said Sgt. 1st Class Michelle Burke, course coordinator, 195th RTI, NHARNG. “We are here to give them the time, equipment, resources, and providers that are not always available and to prepare them to support another unit during a mobilization or a deployment.” For instructors at the 195th RTI, making the training realistic, challenging, and engaging was key to ensuring soldiers who participated in the course were better prepared than when they arrived. This course demonstrates one of the many capabilities the 195th RTI has in preparing soldiers for missions beyond the training environment “Our focus is to make sure that soldiers are getting the best training they possibly can,” said Burke. “So when soldiers come here, they get the best quality information and tools they can to do their job back at their units.” The course's first-hand nature allowed soldiers to see where they needed to improve before working in an operational environment. Course instructors introduced a variety of environmental, situational, and personal challenges during the training. This allowed medics to make their own adjustments, build confidence, and strengthen their ability to respond effectively. “The course has been a great refresher of what standards as medics we must meet and exceed,” said Spc. Tristan Patten, combat medic, 237th Military Police Company, 941st Military Police Battalion, 54th Troop Command, NHARNG. “Working together to learn and bounce ideas off each other while trying to obtain a higher level of care that we can bring to our patients has been a great and rare opportunity.”

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