1st Armored Division Medics Train ICDC Counterparts
BAGHDAD, Iraq – The Iraqi Civil Defense Corps took another step toward self-sufficiency when 66 guardsmen recently completed the first combat medic course offered in Iraq.
Medics from the 1st Armored Division Artillery Combat Team’s ICDC unit in the Al Rashid district of southern Baghdad now have trained medical specialists. The class covered many of the same tasks found in the U.S. Army’s Combat Lifesaver’s Course.
After graduating, 50 of the medics will serve in the individual platoons of the 304th ICDC Battalion, said 1st Lt. Chad Swaims, the DCT surgeon. The remaining 16 will serve in other ICDC units throughout the Baghdad area.
"We utilized as a base program the Army's combat lifesaver program. (We) had it translated to Arabic and expounded on it," he said. "They are learning the ABC's of basic life-saving skills here."
From learning how to apply basic first aid skills to the combat lifesaver's favorite task of "sticking" their fellow classmates with an I.V., Swaims said he hopes the new graduates take away from the course more than the skills they learned during the week-long instructional course.
"I hope they have learned that we are here to help them. This is the first step to helping them work separately from the coalition forces," he said. "Everywhere you have ground troops you’ll have to have medics in combat zones."
Swaims said that what makes this inaugural class special is the "extra" help they received from ICDC soldiers attending the course. Several doctors and other medical professionals are in the ICDC ranks.
They used their expertise and passed on their medical skills to their fellow corpsmen, he said.
"It's great to see them teaching each other," he said after students completed the written examination. "We have doctors who are very knowledgeable and are able to better communicate in their own language."
Although the class was very informative and intensive, Swaims said he hopes to see this course grow and lead to more advanced training for the ICDC.
"I would love to see this course be much longer than what we were able to provide this week," he said. "I could easily see it growing to two or three weeks."
With both female and male ICDC soldiers in the course, one Iraqi said he thinks having females in the course is a great thing for the ICDC and Iraq.
"I would trust her if I needed medical help," he said. "I hope more females join the ICDC. This training is a very good thing for me and my country."
Whether they were learning the basics of splinting a fracture or successfully providing an I.V., the ICDC soldiers took a lot of pride in their work, said Swaims.
