Service members of New Caledonia hosted a combat care event which included various injury treatment techniques and presenting scenarios in which Soldiers and Marines from their respective countries shared methods of treating injuries under hostile environments. U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers of the 100th Battalion, 442nd Infantry Regiment, and the 2nd/1st Battalion Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment participated in the event in Plume, Apr. 27.

Sharing combat and survival training techniques is an integral part of the French-led joint and multilateral exercise Croix du Sud (Southern Cross) 2023, taking place Apr. 27 – May 6. The exercise involves 19 nations conducting a post disaster Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief operation.

Additionally, readiness is at the forefront of Theater Army’s success to work alongside our multinational Allies and partners, effectively addressing our world’s growing complexities through innovative and competitive force capabilities.

Throughout the event, the participants learned that they share similar care-under-combat treatment methods as well as different methods that could help improve their own techniques.

“We have the resources, but we use it differently,” French combat medic instructor Sgt. Kinsley Parent said.

“They think of things that we French don’t see at all,” said Parent who was impressed with how New Zealand combat medics treated an injured Soldier.

“It’s actually a great eye opener to see what other countries are doing,” said Spc. Dagan Johnston, a combat medic of 100th Battalion, 442nd Inf Regt. “It’s great to see other perspectives of how we can tackle the same things, but maybe in a different way.”

“I like how (the French Service members’) equipment is small and compact because it’s easy to carry,” said Spc. Vanessa Talosa, a combat medic of 100th Bn, 442nd Inf Regt “With our stuff, it’s loose and hard to pack.”

“Their nine line (an emergency medevac request) is the same (as ours), just in a different language,” she added.

Pvt. Amanda Voice, a combat medic trainee of the 2nd/1st Battalion Royal New Zealand Inf Regt learned that American and New Zealand combat medics follow the same regulations when treating casualties on the battlefield.

“We both use the TCCC (Tactical Combat Casualty Care) guidelines,” she said.

However, she did point out differences.

“The French use morphine injectors which is something we don’t,” she said.

“The French don’t always have a medic with them, so it’s the Soldiers who do the first aid,” she added.

During the event, a squad from each nation performed care under fire in a simulated ambush. Each squad displayed how injured Soldiers were treated immediately following an ambush and how they extracted injured Soldiers to a safer location to receive further treatment.

The combat medic training event provided insight and perspective. They will prove invaluable as Soldiers from different nations work together.

“We have a lot of things to learn from one another. It’s cool to see what you can do and what you have improved, so we can improve,” Parent said.

“These are our brothers. When we deploy, we’ll be working side by side with them and it’s great to know that we have confidence in each other,” Johnston said. “They got our backs, we got theirs.”