Fort Knox, Kentucky – From a battalion aid station in Oklahoma to the training lanes on Fort Knox, Ky., Cadet Angelee Rivera, UC Davis, knows the importance of first aid training well. As Cadets of 8th Regiment, Advanced Camp complete Combat Casualty Care and First Aid training on July 19, 2024 as part of Cadet Summer Training, Rivera is able to draw on her time as a medic in the US Army Reserve when she was assisting the National Guard.

“When I first learned these skills, I was a little overwhelmed,” Rivera said. “It seemed very scary, the thought of having to actually use a tourniquet one day or having to pack a wound. But I think that it’s good that everybody learns it and gets tested on it because the repetition of it really sticks. You know, these are things that I learned on my first day of basic training, and I still know them by heart to this day.”

Prior enlisted as a medic, Rivera is now in school studying to become a physician’s assistant for the Army. As many of her fellow Cadets come to camp with significantly less medical experience, she’s able to lead by example.

“When we’re out there at the practice table, I’m there if anybody has questions about anything,” Rivera said. “I’m able to help by sharing my knowledge.”

For Cadets coming in with prior first aid knowledge, such as Cadet Annaliese Wollman, South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, who learned first aid skills when she attended basic camp, today’s training served as a good refresher.

“Just be super attentive,” Wollman said. “The little details are important and you need to take your time while also being speedy enough enough to take care of someone.”

It’s a lot to balance. But that’s why Cadets are learning it here. Once they pass each lane, they’ll be ready to take care of their battle buddies when the need arises.

“I don’t know about anyone else, but if I’m in a firefight and I get hit, I want to have complete trust in the person next to me that they’re going to be able to take care of me if something goes wrong,” said Cadet Noel Villanueva, Penn State University.

Cadets complete four lanes at First Aid training where they learn skills such as tourniquet application, CPR, and casualty transport. There’s a lot to remember, and information comes at Cadets fast. But they know that in the end, these skills are going to be crucial.

“The Cadre told a really good story at the beginning of our First Aid brief about a lieutenant who was put in a situation where he had to use these skills right away while on deployment,” said Cadet Torin Brine, University of Washington. “So I think it’s really important as future officers to know these things. The Army is a dangerous job. Injuries happen and knowing how to deal with those and how to save people’s lives is important.”

Ultimately, these future officers will need to instill confidence in their Soldiers when it comes to their leadership; their platoon will need to trust that they can get them home. This training marks a crucial step in becoming the leaders they’re training to become.

“Slow is smooth and smooth is fast,” Brine said. “So take the time to do it right. Get the steps down. And then one day, you can make sure your patient will be okay.”