Simulated Wounds For Training Purposes. AKA "Casualty Cards." Share Your "Casualty" Experiences.

SFC Mark Merino — Tue, 31 Mar 2015 18:12:43 -0400

29 Palms, NTC, JRTC, basic or boot. Our beloved OC's (observer/controllers) handed everyone their casualty cards in that sealed brown envelope in case our MILES gear went off. Many a prayer was said for receiving the lottery ticket: RTD (return to duty). Sometimes, things don't go the way we had hoped. Do you have any "medevac" horror stories to share?

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 31 at 2015 6:20 PM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 31 Mar 2015 18:20:45 -0400

My "casualty card" experience was more so a CBRNE exercise done in conjunction with Denver while I was stationed at Buckley AFB.

We were on casual status (awaiting our TS//SCI clearance adjudication), so we were picked up as fodder for a number of things ranging from gate guard duty to certain base details. All was in the interest of keeping us all "gainfully employed".

I just remember it was sunny but breezy and cold... And we had to go through the entire decon experience, which included being hosed down while in uniform. Suffice it to say, it was not a particularly enjoyable experience.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 31 at 2015 6:25 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 31 Mar 2015 18:25:00 -0400

I recently made these to train some of our Arabic brothers. They pretty much worked horribly. Sometimes they worked but the ones we were training didn't understand it. The cards were made with English on one side and Arabic on the other. One of the best ones was one of the soldiers telling me that the didn't want it said. I am not sure if he was really that (something not nice going here) or he was trying to game it. I did hand one to an officer and he just walked away. It was a kill card. He didn't want to play games. I really hope they do well if they go to war. That is about all they got going for them.

Response by SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL made Mar 31 at 2015 7:44 PM

SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL — Tue, 31 Mar 2015 19:44:55 -0400

SFC Mark Merino Sweet! Yea Operation Omega Lightning (JRTC-94-6) April 1994 (actually was hero of the battlefield). I had a KIA, and got tagged by the OC, The OC gave me a RTD because I escaped and evaded for 12 hours. He could find my Stinger Team and said it was high speed. So I never died !! Hoohaaaa.

Response by SFC Mark Merino made Mar 31 at 2015 7:50 PM

SFC Mark Merino — Tue, 31 Mar 2015 19:50:44 -0400

My worst experience was in 1990 in Hohensfels. I was gone about 3 or 4 full days in the dead of winter. I never huddled up next to so many perfect strangers in my life. They had real world cold weather casualties as well. I'll never forget one poor guy that was screaming in pain when his frozen foot started to thaw out. I was a no TIS/TIG snot nosed grunt and learned about staying warm during that one winter. Those painful lessons were hard learned and have been shared with hundreds of troops over a 20 year period. I bet that poor guy lost his foot.

Response by SGT James Elphick made Mar 31 at 2015 7:52 PM

SGT James Elphick — Tue, 31 Mar 2015 19:52:05 -0400

When I was in PLDC I was the leading our platoon on a mission to secure a downed helicopter. I took my command team to the helicopter itself to assess the damage and see what was going on while I had the rest of the platoon set up a 360 perimeter to secure the area. All of a sudden op for comes screaming out of the woods on the right flank. I turn and start yelling at squad leaders to get their squads online and return fire. Next thing I know I hear gun shots behind me. I turn around expecting to be attacked from the other side and realize it is the other half of my perimeter shooting THROUGH our perimeter towards the other side. As I stand there screaming cease-fire and waving the hand-and-arm signal my MILES goes off. I go down, say I'm hit and pull my casualty card. I have been shot in the groin and my medic is a female who I had pissed off earlier in the course by calling inappropriate cadences. As the others start coming towards me I am "saved" by my SGL (who I had also pissed off but that is another story) throwing a smoke grenade at me. Unfortunately for him he skipped it off a rock and into my face, creating an actual casualty when it split my cheek open under my eye. We repelled the attack, the medic patched me up and an unspoken deal was made between the SGL and I that I no longer had to participate.

Response by SFC Collin McMillion made Apr 1 at 2015 12:23 AM

SFC Collin McMillion — Wed, 01 Apr 2015 00:23:35 -0400

Tet '68

Response by CSM Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 1 at 2015 2:39 AM

CSM Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 01 Apr 2015 02:39:20 -0400

Oh man, I spent many cold days and nights in the P-HA doing KP, moving rocks, and many other menial tasks waiting for my unit to "regenerate" me. I think I lost my "spooning" virginity in the P-HA.

They let you grab a bag if possible now so you have at least a woobie and personal hygiene stuff. Army has gotten soft lol.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 26 at 2017 11:50 PM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 26 Feb 2017 23:50:57 -0500

I was blinded and had no use of my legs. I was to start out as unconscious but shortly into being treated I was to wake up and panic. Being blind I had no idea who was treating me and immediately attacked the person putting the tourniquet on one of my legs. I screamed at them attempted to crawl away and attacked them at every opportunity until they held me down and tried to calm me.

The purpose was to show that not every patient is going to willingly let you work on them, I think it was so the Drill Sergeants could get a laugh. It was fun though.