Story and photos by Sgt. 1st Class Derrick Witherspoon 7th Army Reserve Command Public Affairs Office
SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina – As a platoon of Soldiers from the Bosnian Armed Forces prepared for their first major mission outside of Bosnia in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers supported them with some medical training that could eventually save their lives.
Soldiers from the 7th Army Reserve Command’s Medical Support Unit-Europe, headquartered in Heidelberg, Germany, traveled to Sarajevo in May to provide Soldiers from the Bosnian Armed Forces with Combat Lifesaver Familiarization. The BAF Soldiers, who are part of the Federation Army and the Republic of Serbska Army, are preparing for their first joint military operation outside of Bosnia.
Capt. Robert Beljan, operations officer for the Bosnian Armed Forces Center of Professional Development, said the Soldiers will be attached to a U.S. Marine explosive ordinance disposal unit. Their mission, as part of the Coalition Forces in Iraq, will be to dispose of large amounts of captured ammunitions. Beljan said the lifesaving training the Soldiers received from the combat medics will help them aid one another incase of a medical emergency.
“I can say as an operation officer, who followed the entire medical familiarization provided by the U.S. Soldiers, that this was some of the best training that our Soldiers have had, especially when it comes to hands-on training,” said Beljan.
The four Soldiers from the MSU-E who provided the combat lifesaver familiarization – Sgt. 1st Class Jerry Taylor, Staff Sgt. Bruce Toland, Sgt. David Deans, and Spc. Daniel Perry – are part of an Army Reserve medical team that travels throughout Europe providing Soldiers Combat Lifesaver Training.
Maj. Thomas Johnson, operations officer for the MSU-E, said the unit’s mission is to augment and support U.S. Army Europe and maintain a combat ready, forward stationed Army Reserve medical unit fully capable of supporting the 7th ARCOM and European Regional Medical Command (ERMC) intra-theater medical mission. Johnson added that one of their major missions is to provide combat lifesaver training to Soldiers being deployed to a combat zone, such as Iraq.
Staff Sgt. Bruce Toland, an Army Reserve Soldier with the MSU-E, said the combat lifesaver familiarization they provided the BAF Soldiers was geared to help them deal with any medical emergency that might arise due to their handling of munitions as part of their mission in Iraq.
“We basically taught them all the necessary skills of a combat lifesaver so they may be able to save a life,” said Toland, “i.e. how to control bleeding, treat shock, splint a fracture, attend to a sucking chest wound or an abdominal wound, and how to initiate an I.V. Basically all the important techniques needed for assistance to a casualty.”
Although their names can not be released for security reasons, all of the BAF Soldiers who were spoken to echoed the same sentiments: this was not only some of the best and most useful preparation for their deployment to Iraq, but it was also a great team and moral builder.
During the combat lifesaver familiarization, Soldiers from Bosnia-Herzegovina’s two armies - the Federation and Republic of Serbska Armies - placed years of differences aside and worked together so they may be there for each other if one of them gets injured in Iraq. As the Soldiers went through the training, there were many times when trust played a major factor, especially when they had to administer an I.V. to each other, but trust won out every time.
“These are all professional Soldiers and so far in these 15 weeks of training that we've had, they have done an excellent job training together,” said Beljan. “I think both components did a great job during the combat lifesaver familiarization and that they acted as one unit and I know they will act as one unit in Iraq too.”
“These Soldiers have been involved in conflicts in the past, so they bring a wealth of knowledge to the table with them,” said Toland. “The class that we taught had four BAF Soldiers who were medics and they were instrumental in assisting us during the combat lifesaver familiarization, and I know they’re going to be major assets to their comrades while their in Iraq.”
Beljan said he is thankful for the training the MSU-E Soldiers provided and looks forward to the Soldiers coming back again to train more of the BAF Soldiers on combat lifesaving.
“This mission in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom is a great way for us to give back to our allies who helped us during our time of need,” said Beljan. “We look forward to being a part of other international missions that may arise in the future, and the combat lifesaver familiarization we received will play a big part in our success if any of our Soldiers get injured.”
The MSU-E Soldiers may have provided the BAF Soldiers with the familiarization they needed to save each other’s lives if the need arises, but in the process, they all so helped prepared these two armies to be an “Army of One” as they travel to support the Global War on Terrorism.