11th MEU Marines learn to save lives during Combat Lifesavers Course 

Medical personnel from the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) Camp Pendleton, Calif., trained Marines how to save lives during the Combat Lifesavers Skills Course here May 30 through June 1.

The purpose of the course was to teach the participants the skills to act first-responders in a combat situation until the corpsman arrives on the scene.

Master Chief Michael J. Smith, medical planner for the Command Element, and HM2 Don O. Bradshaw, hospital corpsman, taught Marines from the MEU's Command Element here basic tactical combat casualty care. During the course, the Marines were taught how to start the breathing, stop the bleeding and how identify dangerous symptoms and injuries on combat casualties. They were also taught how to properly dress wounds, how to properly apply field dressing, intravenous fluids, tourniquets and how to check for exit wounds during the basic skills course.

The Marines and sailors of the 11th MEU are currently deployed to the Middle East in support of the Global War on Terrorism.

For more information about the 11th MEU (SOC) visit their website at http://www.usmc.mil/11thmeu.