U.S. Army medic Staff Sgt. Jeremy Coleman, of Soddy-Daisy, left, teaches how to properly bandage an arm while talking to Iraqi Army ambulance corps medics inside Baghdad, Iraq.
Cut. 2. Staff Sgt. Jeremy Coleman, of Soddy-Daisy, far left back, and Spc. Ryan Flores, bottom left, teach Iraqi Army medics.
Contributed photoLike most doctors, U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Jeremy Coleman, of Soddy-Daisy, works long hours – often on call 24 hours a day. But when he reports to work, it is not to a hospital.
“We do not have the luxury of emergency rooms; our emergency room is a bag we carry that can and does at times weigh in excess of 40 to 50 pounds plus the body armor we wear,” said Coleman. “We are basically a walking ambulance or emergency room and can function in hostile conditions with minimal equipment.”
As a medic with the 1st Bn., 63rd Armor Regt. in Baghdad, Iraq, Coleman said he tells his medics to think of themselves as “trauma specialists.”
This summer Coleman trained Iraqi Army ambulance corps medics to help them function efficiently together to treat life-threatening injuries. He also taught them how to apply pressure and treat shrapnel wounds while immobilizing a broken neck, ensuring the person’s airway is clear. He also showed them how to dress wounds and how to apply a sling and splint.
Coleman said he trains his own medics to be able to think four steps ahead and foresee what is about to happen medically. He is a member of the Dragon Battalion Medics, to which there are currently 38 medics and four platoon leaders assigned.