Afghan Medic Trainers Graduate Fifth Afghan Combat Medic Class

The first Afghan National Army Combat Medic Class taught primarily by Afghan medical trainers graduated Feb. 24, 2011 at the Herat Regional Medical Hospital at Camp Zafar, Herat Province.

This was the fifth Combat Medic Class and was the first to graduate with NATO coalition force mentors primarily fulfilling the role of facilitators instead of instructors.

ANA Col. Gulab Sherzad, Corps Surgeon for the 207th ANA Corps provided opening remarks.

“This is the very first step in helping your countrymen and your fellow soldiers,” he said. “Keep your class notes with you and don’t think that your training is over. Your training starts now.”

Sherzad talked about the importance of the Combat Medic course. “This course is the primary step but it is very significant,” he said. “If you cannot provide aide on the battlefield the doctors and nurses waiting in the hospitals will not be able to help either.”

U.S. Navy Cmdr. Kristine Bradsher, NATO Training Mission Afghanistan mentor and team chief for the Medical Embedded Training Team in Herat Regional Medical Hospital, says the goal of the medical mentor program is for Afghans to train their own. “The best part about this class was the Afghan medic trainers were actually teaching the course in lieu of our mentors. Our mentors were simply there to facilitate and coach,” she said. “The class was actually taught by the Afghans which moves us more towards the goal of the Afghan trainer.”

According to U.S Army Sgt. Rance Beck, Senior Medical Mentor with the 117th Field Artillery from Ft. Sill, Okla., the Afghan trainers have improved the training of the combat medics.

Beck said having medically trained ANA instructors teaching has helped the students learn quicker than teaching through interpreters.

“It is a lot more efficient with their fellow ANA teaching them. The four instructors we have now are world class,” he said.

The quality of the training is equivalent to the training U.S. combat medics receive.

Beck said this class of Afghan combat medics is well prepared for their new jobs.

“As far as lifesaving procedures they definitely know what to do. They are very competent,” he said. pressure wraps, and 9-line medevacs, they definitely know how to do it.”