ANA soldiers learn life saving skills

FORWARD OPERATING BASE SHANK, Afghanistan – In a medical course at FOB Shank, a group of ANA soldiers learned the skills necessary to treat their fellow soldiers if they are ever injured on the battlefield, Nov. 1.

During the course, soldiers from the 5th Kandak practiced basic patient assessments, advanced airway management, controlling blood loss and treating shock.

“This course was originally developed as sustainment training for medical personnel,” said Jose Gonzalez, a medical instructor with Military Professionals Resources Inc., “but the curriculum has been converted to include non-medical personnel and help them achieve a combat lifesaver level.”

Although the course provides vital knowledge to Afghan soldiers, the task of instructing can seem daunting when faced with the language barrier, high illiteracy rate, and inconsistent attendance from students.

Since the class has a mixture of tribes and ethnicities, the interpreter often has to switch between the Dari and Pashto languages to make sure everyone understands the material presented in class. When words seem to fail, a visual aid usually comes to the rescue.

In a previous training session, Gonzalez stabbed a full bottle of water so soldiers could grasp the concept of what happens when an organ is ruptured. In another class, he lit a piece of gauze on fire and covered it with a glass to illustrate that fire needed oxygen to spread.

“You have to be creative when teaching this class because sometimes medical terms don’t translate,” said U.S. Army Sgt. Nigal Buchko, a native of Killeen, Texas, assistant instructor and medic with Company C, 125th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division. “We use a lot of visual aids and hands-on training. We also try to relate some of the material to their culture.”


Despite the challenges, several the ANA soldiers excelled at the training and look forward to sharing their knowledge with other ANA soldiers.

“I am thankful for training,” said ANA Pvt. Gul Nabi, medic with the 5th Kandak. “It is good for our country and army to have medics so we don’t lose ANA soldiers.”