Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego -- Test dummies with various injuries such as open fractures and sucking chest wounds were used to test recruit’s combat care skills as part of a practical examination test at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, Calif., Dec. 2.
Recruits of Golf Company, 2nd Recruit Training Battalion, were not only tested on their combat care skills but also tested on their knowledge of military rank structure, uniforms and the assembly of an M-16 A4 Service Rifle.
Drill instructors watched for errors in the medical care given to the test dummy’s injury. If a recruit gave the wrong treatment, he failed his test. Although recruits are given another attempt, multiple failures could mean falling back in training.
After first going through their combat care section, recruits moved on to disassembling and assembling their rifles and concluded with their test on rank structure and uniforms.
“I was confident I could pass the tests,” said Recruit Justin W. McConnaughy, Platoon 2155. “The hardest part of the combat care section is not getting ahead of yourself and missing steps.”
Recruits credited their drill instructor for reviewing and cementing the knowledge in their minds.
“The drill instructors made sure we were ready for this. Every evening we would run through practice scenarios,” said Recruit Thaddeus K. Vash, Platoon 2155. “I was worried about the possibility of failure prior to the test, but when you’re in there (testing), it’s fairly easy.”
For many recruits the combat care learned in recruit training is their only experience with first aid. However, many feel with the training they were given, if a scenario would present itself, they would be able to perform life saving tactics.
Over the course of recruit training, recruits learn how to treat a variety of combat injuries using items such as a tourniquet, gauze and bandages.
“I feel confident that if it happened in real life we would have the knowledge to apply first aide,” said Vash, a Mitchel, Ind., native.
Although the practical application test covers only basic Marine knowledge and first aid, they are fundamental skills no Marine leaves recruit training without. The practical application test ensures recruits not only know the knowledge but are able to able to perform the skills as well.
“This knowledge is very important to have because Marines are in combat a lot, and if you don’t know how to help someone to your right, he could bleed out before a corpsman can get to him,” said Vash.