Fear Of Manipulating A Spinal Injury - 1634 Words

Focusing my attention back on the PL, I moved to check the one place unseen and began removing his helmet. His head was protected, but tilting his chin back was one thing I didn’t want to do for fear of manipulating a spinal injury. It also is what finally exposed and opened the small hole in his throat from an apparent piece of shrapnel and he began to bleed profusely. I immediately called the medic away from one of the less seriously wounded to help me with the bleeding. I packed the wound but loosely, not wanting to interfere with what was left of his airway and then pulled him up to my lap so I could maintain pressure on the wound. He was still dying. Running out of options, I checked his airway again and manipulated his tongue†¦show more content†¦Shortly thereafter, he regained life signs and consciousness, attempting to sit up even. I called for a litter and directed he be secured and ready to move, meanwhile contacting the Command Post to provide a situ ation report and moving to check on other casualties at the CCP. At this time I had twelve that needed evacuation and eight more walking wounded. There were barely enough lucid Soldiers to pull security, but my biggest problem was that the QRF had not arrived yet. Searching for an improvised solution for the PL who I believed was expectant at this point, I saw an Afghan National Army truck parked nearby with a driver who seemed as though he was trying to help. I directed that the PL be loaded onto the back of the pickup truck with two ambulatory Soldiers who could pull security on both the surroundings and the driver. I sent the medic to monitor his airway. The interpreter conveyed my directions to the driver to take the Soldiers straight to our Entry Control Point at the AP, and I instructed the PL’s security to take the vehicle by any means necessary if the driver did not follow directions. Our Platoon Leader was now conscious and responsive, and I told him where he was going and why. Less than fifteen minutes after the attack, the PL and his fight for life was on his way to next level care. As the truck pulled off our 3rd Platoon arrived as QRF. The QRF medic took over where ours had left off. All the casualties were stable and