FORT KNOX, Ky. – Cadets from 1st Regiment, Advanced Camp, completed the first aid training at Fort Knox, Ky., June 14, 2023. During the first aid class, Cadets learned how to do tactical combat casualty care, care under fire, tactical field care, and tactical evacuation care. This trains Cadets on how to properly treat a wounded Soldier during combat and how to use an advanced system improvement program radio to call up a 9-line medical evacuation helicopter.

Cadet Paul Zimmerman from Austin Peay State University is an active-duty member of the U.S. Army, and his military occupational specialty is 89D, an explosive ordnance disposal specialist. Zimmerman explained his more specific role as an EOD as a military bomb technician and said that he deals with military ordnance and takes care of it.

Zimmerman said that he joined Reserve Officers’ Training Corps because his time was ending as an 89D. He said that he looked at the options that were out there for him and found out about ROTC. He mentions why ROTC would be important. He said that if he went this route, he could further better the EOD community.

Zimmerman found out about ROTC from being at Fort Campbell, Ky. He said that ROTC was posted everywhere there.

Before starting the first aid class, Zimmerman and his fellow Cadets were given equipment and given a lesson on tactical combat casualty care.

“They provided us with rescue Randy’s which are the medical dummies; they gave us their individual first aid kits, that were stocked with the correct supplies, liters to practice with, radios, and 9-line cards,” Zimmerman said.

“We’re working on the combat lifesavers skills, so working on casualty, applying treatments, tourniquets, and then evacuating them, while also learning how to use our radios to call up a 9-line MEDEVAC [medical evacuation],” Zimmerman said. 

During the first aid sit, Cadets experienced a scenario where they are put under pressure and have to save Randy.

Zimmerman said the hardest part about first aid is staying calm and being focused on what’s important. He said that there are a lot of distractions between dealing with injuries but the most important is the safety and security of the casualty.

Zimmerman reflects on the mental aspects of first aid and explains why he describes it as a puzzle.

“There’s always something extra going on. There is something unknown that has to get dealt with. You’re having to think ahead, you’re doing the what if’s, and then having to almost guess and predict what’s next,” Zimmerman said.

Spc. Tanner Finch is an active-duty member of the U.S. Army. His military occupational specialty used to be an aviation mechanic who repairs aircraft wings, brakes, and electrical systems. After being an aviation mechanic he switched to a 68W, combat medic specialist. A combat medic specialist must deal with emergency medical care during combat.

Finch said that he has been in the U.S. Army for five years and has been a combat medic for three years. 

Finch’s role at Cadet Summer Training is as a Cadre member and his job is to teach Cadets about combat casualty care at Advanced Camp.

Finch said that he chose to teach ROTC Cadets because of the impact the Soldiers in ROTC had on him. He said that the Soldiers were knowledgeable and passed down a lot of knowledge to him.

“I’m excited to be able to pass down my knowledge, everything that I’ve learned in my career, and pass it down to Cadets,” Finch said.

Finch mentions how he was given the opportunity to teach TC3. He said that he usually is working in the role to aid stations for sick calls and any kind of injuries that Cadets might sustain. He told a story of how he was assigned to the first aid site. Finch said, A couple of days ago, he got a call that said, ‘Hey, we need people to come out here and train TC3.

Finch explained what he taught Cadets during his first aid class.

“The class was about TC3, medical intervention on the battlefield, and how to properly load MEDEVAC vehicles and CASEVAC [casualty evacuations] vehicles including the difference between the two markers and the kind of locations that you would use and look for,” Finch said. 

Finch mentioned his goal as Cadre at CST.

“I want to teach Cadets and get them comfortable enough so that way if something does happen, they can step up if they need to and provide somebody with some kind of medical intervention,” Finch said.