In the moments that follow the initial receipt of a combat injury, escaping out of the fog of war is not dictated by the enemy, but rather by those fighting alongside the casualty, pulling the injured out of the fight. As those critical minutes dwindle into critical seconds, the gap between life and death closes and the fate of a fallen service member lies in the hands of his or her nearest ally.

The marines of second platoon, Ground Combat Element, Security Cooperation Task Force (SCTF), Africa Partnership Station 2011, and their Senegalese Commandos and Nigerian sailors counterpart are now trained for such an occasion, after recently engaging in a combat lifesaver class given by the hospital corpsmen attached to second platoon, SCTF.

Under a shady grove in attempt to beat the day's peak heat, hospital corpsmen Petty Officer 3rd Class Brandon Echols and Seaman Joseph Friend led the period of instruction and practical application, which provided demonstration of the basic lifesaving skills Marines and corpsmen use in a combat environment.

"This training is very important and will help me if I go to war," said Mouhamed Fall, a Senegalese Marine Commando who sat in the class and conducted the following practical application portion. "I have been in combat before and I am glad that I learned this for the next time I may have to help my brothers."

The instruction was demonstrated as a marine corps first aid standard and included response to injuries ranging from the treatment of a heat casualty to the application of a pressure dressing on a wound. Following injury treatment, the Commandos, as well as operators from the Nigerian Navy Special Boat Service, were shown the means of writing a casualty report, essentially a brief record of the injury and the treatment provided.

Though the splinting of broken bones, treatment of spinal injuries and proper means of casualty transport are all important, the underlying reason for providing the combat lifesaver course was to instill confidence in those who may one day find themselves in a dire combat situation.

"The main purpose of this session is to help build confidence and medical proficiency," said Echols.

Throughout, students asked 'what if' scenarios and questions about how to improvise with less material, a sure sign that the material was absorbed by all, said Echols.

"With something as important as saving someone's life, confidence is the key to proficiency," he added.

Africa Partnership Station 2011 is a U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) maritime security engagement program that is designed to strengthen participating nations' maritime security capacity through multilateral collaboration and cross-border cooperation.

Marine Corps Forces, Africa is supporting APS-11 with a Security Cooperation Task Force assembled from 2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 2nd Marine Division and various other units based out of Camp Lejeune, N.C. The SCTF began its deployment in Ghana in March and is slated to continue its follow-on mission at Gabon in June.