Malaysian Soldiers completed training on Tactical Combat Casualty Care to test the cumulative skills acquired during a Medical First Responder course, held Sept. 15-19, here, during the bilateral exercise Keris Strike 14.

The ability of U.S. forces to train with partner nations on combat operations and procedures throughout the Asia-Pacific demonstrates a joint commitment to regional security. Both U.S. and Malaysian medics worked together to learn key medical response techniques and tasks from each other.

The week-long training began with an introduction to Tactical Combat Casualty Care and, as the course progressed, the focus narrowed to specific medical tasks, including treatment of fractures, maintaining airways and breathing, treating wounds and conducting medical evacuation procedures. U.S. medics also taught a class on the prevention of infectious disease.

"What was taught in this training lesson is really basic stuff to help others who are in really bad condition, so it actually saves lives," said Capt. Zaharuddin Zuraihan, a Malaysian Army medical officer of the 18th Royal Battalion, 8th Brigade.

In order to achieve U.S. Army Combat Lifesaver certification, Malaysian doctors were required to successfully complete medical trauma lane training, a process of conducting a live-training simulation of one or more collective tasks in a constructive or virtual simulation. Like all training, the goal of lane training is to ensure Soldiers, leaders, and units become tactically proficient and technically competent. Medical lane tasks consisted of treating a casualty under fire, sustaining cover and transporting a litter to a simulated loading zone in preparation for medical evacuation.

Malaysian Soldiers successfully completed the Medical Trauma lanes, followed by a mass casualty exercise, before graduation from the course on Sept. 19.

Cpl. Bruce Sexton, non-commissioned officer in charge of the Medical First Responder course and medic from 117th Infantry Battalion, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, explained that the purpose of the training is to teach the Malaysian Army the U.S. Army's way of providing first responder medical care on the battlefield. Unlike U.S. Army medics, who receive training on both standard and combat medical care, Malaysian medics primarily serve as medical doctors; so for the majority of those who attended the course, administering care under stressful combat conditions, was a first.

"The Malaysian Army is one of the most professional, motivated, engaged militaries I've ever worked with," Sexton said. He continued to explain how eager they were to learn and share medical knowledge with U.S. Soldiers.

Malaysian doctors contributed by teaching U.S. medics the proper care and prevention of mosquito-borne tropical diseases such as malaria and dengue fever, as well as the treatment of venomous snakebites, a common cause of casualties in Malaysia and throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

"If there were a crisis anywhere in this region, I feel as if the trust that we built together through this training would allow them to work alongside us, should they need our help," said Cpl. Alexander Aponte, medic with Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.