Grant awarded to U of M to develop training for combat medics

Researchers from the University of Minnesota Medical School have been awarded $11 million to improve training for combat medics.

The three-year Department of Defense-funded program aims to improve combat readiness for military first responders. Principal investigator Dr. Robert Sweet said the initiative train combat medics to respond to critical injuries — the kind of trauma that's common on the battlefield, such as massive bleeding and airway management.

"The military, they are doing a really good job with their training in general but they feel they could do a better job," Sweet said. "There have been some lives lost that they feel they could have saved with better training, so they feel that this is money well spent"

The program will simulate field conditions, such as the sights, sounds and smells of the battlefield, Sweet said.

A team will monitor medics' stress responses as they perform life-saving maneuvers.