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 U.S. troops prepare for life-saving efforts
By Dr. Sanjay Gupta
Editor's note: In our Behind the Scenes series, CNN correspondents share their experiences in covering news around the world. KUWAIT CITY, Kuwait (CNN) -- Fifteen to 20 kilometers from the Iraq-Kuwaiti border, a large U.S. military buildup has begun. Thousands of young men and women, U.S. Army soldiers, are putting up barracks and hunkering down. As a doctor, I was particularly curious about the way a large institution like the U.S. Army prepares itself medically. I decided to find out. After a 12 -and-a-half-hour flight to Kuwait City, our CNN crew was up at dawn to drive with an armored escort north into the desert. We were met by a captain who took us to spend some exclusive time with the Army's 3rd Infantry Division. Without a doubt, we were in the desert. With sand everywhere, it was hard to believe that adequate medical facilities could be arranged. But that is exactly what these remarkable soldiers have done. They set up triage centers that can take care of everything from minor scrapes and burns to gunshot wounds and severe car accidents. In addition to setting up facilities all over the camp that can be broken down, transported and re-established within five hours, the military is planning the sequence of events that will be implemented when a soldier is injured in battle. Dozens of soldiers demonstrated these steps for us, and it was impressive. When a soldier is injured, the first person on the scene is a medic. This soldier knowingly puts himself or herself in harm's way to try to assess the seriousness of an injury and then transport the person to a more stable and protected environment. Because a medic's job is to move quickly through an unstable area, he or she carries only a first-aid bag. A medic must work fast to establish an airway -- make sure the patient can breathe -- and control bleeding. Specialist Gilman is the medic we met. "Ten seconds of pure terror" is how he described his job. A specialist like Gilman will usually be the most forward member of medical personnel in a battle. Not far behind is an armored personnel carrier, also known as an M113A. This fully armored vehicle is responsible for transporting critically wounded patients from a dangerous zone to a more stable zone. The M113A, which looks like a tank without the guns, carries equipment to stabilize a patient, including as oxygen, pain medications, intravenous fluids, back boards and splints, as well as decontamination suits -- necessary in case of a nuclear, biological or chemical attack. The commander of this vehicle has a clear mission -- stabilize and evacuate. The M113A might then take an injured soldier to a Level 1 forward-aid station, which is designed for more advanced medical care. Often staffed by a doctor, these centers can provide chest tubes and minor surgery. Staff members at the Level 1 station also must determine if the injured will require an air evacuation to a local hospital or MASH unit for further treatment. Dr. Andy Shobitz holds down the Level 1 center we visited and is a calming presence for the young soldiers. Finally, one of the most exciting and effective methods to get the injured off the battlefield for medical care is the Black Hawk helicopter. In addition to being used for transport, these copters are equipped with four gurneys and a hoist that can lower a medic 250 feet for an emergency pick-up. The Black Hawk, like the M113A, is fitted with a complete triage and stabilizing system, including oxygen, spine back boards and decontamination suits. Often, the Black Hawk will transport the injured from a Level 1 aid station to a hospital or MASH unit. They are also used to pick up injured soldiers from front lines. A Black Hawk crew often includes a medic and a doctor.
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