68W advice

Mack27 · 11-01-2010, 07:16

Hello, I'm a second time poster, first time in Intro forum, and have a question. First, a little background. I'm not in the military, but am asking this question in regards to my brother, who is finishing up his AIT as a 68W and will be deploying to Afghanistan in less than two months. I'm a volunteer firefighter and NREMT-B so I have some medical knowledge, but no military related medical training. Through his training, he now knows more than I do, but being so new to it and having no combat experience yet, I was hoping those with much more experience and knowledge than me could give some advice for a new 68W about to be deployed. It doesn't have to be specific advice, just anything you think would be pertinent for someone about to get deployed on their fist mission. Thanks, I'll compile all the advice and send it do him as soon as he graduates.

Mack

blue02hd · 11-01-2010, 07:33

Tell him to listen and learn from the NCO's in his unit that have deployments under their belts, and ignore any and all combat advice from his big brother.

JJ_BPK · 11-01-2010, 08:30

Additionally,, If he has time, Tell him to register and spend all his time reading and searching.

You may also learn from searching and reading..

Good for the mind, body, and soul..

Good Luck to your brother and thank him for his service...

blue02hd · 11-01-2010, 09:22

Wish him well for us, but I am sure he will do fine. Additionally, are you aware of his unit or his tentative Area of Operations?

Mack27 · 11-01-2010, 09:52

Blue02hd, will do. I haven't given him any combat advice other than what you said, listen to his NCO's. So far he has been telling me he's doing really well in his classes and training, hoping to graduate honor grad. Additionally he tied for 1st as class platoon leader. He's 26, so he's got more life experience than the majority of guys in his class, and with college under his belt, he know how to buckle down and study and focus better than most 18-19 year old kids in there with him. He says he's excited about getting over there and helping out, and treats all training as if it were the real thing, so I'm sure he'll do just fine.

We did discuss a lot of what he was learning when he was taking the National Registry portion of the training since I'm familiar with that, but once he got into the Whiskey portion, he just talked to me and I listened since I have no experience with it. I know my place.

I'm not sure what his unit it or AO. I'll ask when I talk to him next.

JJ_BPK, I'll be sure to let him know he should get on and register. I've told him about it while he's training, but he doesn't have access to a computer for personal time so he hasn't had the opportunity. He's has said he'll check it out when he gets time. He leaves for his final field training tomorrow, and says he'll be out there for two weeks at Camp Bullis down in TX. Then outprocessing and he's off to the real world.

I have been getting lots of information from this site, especially the medical forums. Great reads and scenerios no matter what line of medicine you are in, even for me in the civilian world. Again, thanks to all for your service and the knowledge you post here.

Mack

Foot Drill · 11-01-2010, 14:18

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blacksmoke · 11-08-2010, 09:31

Try hard to learn the language, learn the interpretors and volunteer. Hang out with the guys who wake up early and go to the gym, not the ones who stand around smoking cigarettes all day.

regularamymedic · 11-30-2010, 20:36

Tell him to remember once he deploy (regardless of theater) that he is going to a dangerous place where people die daily. When dealing with Soldiers or Marines, Sailors etc, who are a usually healthy patient population, there are three categories of casualties.....

80% of which will live when wounded no matter what you do to treat them...

10% of which will die no matter what your intervention/treatment is....

and finally...

10% of which will live only if the 68W/CombatLifesaver (CLS- usually a soldier who is cross trained to provide basic life-saving measures) acts quickly and provides appropriate training to the wounded while on the battlefield.

Tell your brother to PT hard daily while deployed..(that also helps maintain sanity)...and to ask questions of those with combat experience not only in medicine, but also the Soldiers he is supporting. (not a bad idea to crosstrain once he is assigned to a line company)

Reading is a good way to unwind when off cycle as well....Tell him to pick up a copy of "Five Years To Freedom" Its a great book to always have a copy of, and its great to read over and over again.

Drink water, wash his hands, take his malaria prophalaxis.....and above all listen to the experience of those who have been there before and successfully returned with all of thier fingers and toes.

Tell him to pick the brains of his PA's and Doctors .........He will be there with them, so he might as well benefit from being in a close living situation with them whenever possible....He will gain thier trust if he learns how they operate and do business willingly

Oh, and tell him to avoid hanging with the idiots that are sure to be there. (there are a cpl in every conventional Army PLT).

Sounds as if he is already more mature than the average person anyway, so he should be fine. Tell him to keep his mouth shut, and ears open.

Good luck to him!

Aceshigh · 11-30-2010, 20:53

I'm a 68w now, but back when I deployed I was a 19k.

Best advice I can give (aside from whats listed here) is to tell him to check on his platoon mates often as he can. I very rarely needed my plt medic for anything, but having him constantly checking on me meant a lot and did wonders for his credibility with the rest of the plt.

And wish him luck for me as well.