July 8, 2015 -- Sailors at Naval Branch Health Clinic Albany, located aboard Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany, volunteered their time to train Young Marines of Albany on the various equipment and techniques used to care for injured comrades during a weekend drill, here, June 20.
Basic First Aid techniques is one of several trainings, which the hospital corpsmen have partnered to facilitate with the Young Marines of Albany, according to NBHC Albany staff.
HN Wesley Balentine, preventive medicine technician, NBHC Albany, explained his role and that of his fellow corpsmen in educating the youth.
“We (discussed) basic first aid with the Young Marines,” Balentine said. “It encompassed (everything) we carry in our med bags compared to what they carry in theirs. We (gave details of) how each piece of equipment is used as well as the standard protocols a military medic would take before they would (treat) someone. For example, when (medics) first see a patient, always ask for permission to touch them, instead of just rushing in.
“We added more to what they’ve already learned and compared it to the different roles between what a Marine would do in first aid to what a corpsman would do in first aid,” he added. “We opened up our kits; passed out a number of the tools that we used; described and explained how they’re used. We then opened the floor for questions and the kids asked a lot – one after another, after another.”
According to Balentine and Chief Petty Officer Denise Galvan, leading petty officer, NBHC Albany, the training was exclusively held to share knowledge of corpsmen’s first aid because the Young Marines have already had cardiopulmonary resuscitation training during one of their previous weekend drills.
“The fire department did the CPR training for them,” Galvan said. “What we did was the Basic First Aid class. The (Young Marines) have certain requirements in order to earn their first-aid ribbon for the Young Marines’ book. We (explained) the criteria needed for them to receive the ribbon. We took one of our med bags and showed the difference between what was in their first aid kit versus what a corpsman would carry.”
Galvan said NBHC Albany sailors/corpsmen volunteer frequently with the Young Marines to facilitate first aid or other requested medic training as well as serve as crossing guards and to run with them during physical fitness tests and other training exercises.