Page 170 - JSOM Spring 2018

Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care

Meeting Minutes

6–7 September, 2017; San Antonio, TX

Dr Frank Butler; Dr Stephen Giebner

Wednesday, 6 September 2017 despite the potential for additional IEDs and rescued SGT
Chairman’s Welcome: Dr Frank Butler, Chairman of the Hartswick and another wounded Soldier and transported
CoTCCC, called the meeting to order and had attendees in- them to a Role 3 medical treatment facility.
troduce themselves. Dr Butler briefly reviewed the Commit- Now, 3 years and 21 surgeries later, thankful for his sec-
tee’s progress in prehospital combat trauma care since 2001, ond chance that he has been given, SGT Hartswick works tire-
its current knowledge products, and performance improve- lessly to train others in TCCC through his role as a TCCC
ment methodology. He then reviewed the agenda and asked instructor with Techline Trauma, training mostly law enforce-
for disclosures from the attendees. Several disclosures were ment officers and SWAT teams—over 7000 individuals in 15
noted. Dr John Holcomb has a financial interest in the Junc- months. In his words: “I’ve seen it save lives.”
tional Emergency Treatment Tool, one of the three CoTCCC- In the question and answer period, SGT Hartswick re-
recommended junctional tourniquets. Dr Russ Kotwal and Mr marked that he did not have any significant pain during his
Harold Montgomery consult for LynnTech, a company that helicopter evacuation, despite the gravity of his wounds. He
manufactures blood analysis technology. attributes this to the adrenaline produced by his wounding
Mr Harold Montgomery received a special award from scenario.
the Knowesis contracting company presented by Mr Scott He was very grateful that the first sergeant in his unit had
Cooper. The award noted Mr Montgomery’s remarkable con- insisted that unit members wear “Combat Diapers”—a pro-
tributions to the CoTCCC and the JTS during the short time tective garment that covered his urogenital area and prevented
that that he has been on the team. The award consisted of a any damage to that region.
Knowesis coin, a Certificate of Excellence, and a cash bonus. He also noted that his unit received outstanding TCCC
training from their Medical Simulation Training Center
2. Combat Medic Presentation: SGT Adam Hartswick started (MSTC) and emphasized TCCC training, especially tourniquet
his presentation by saying: “I am here to tell you about the application, during the unit’s down time in theater. SGT Harts-
worst day of my life and to let you know that I am alive today wick received a sustained standing ovation from the group.
because of TCCC.” His injuries were sustained in Afghanistan
on 14 May 2013. There was a dismounted IED (dIED) attack
outside of his base in Zhari province. He was the company
senior medic and responded to an attack on the company’s
Second Platoon. He was not on the mission, but when he
heard that his some of his unit’s members had been injured, he
jumped into the back of a responding Quick Response Force
(QRF) vehicle and rushed to aid his teammates.
When he got to the point where the IED had detonated,
he found the junior platoon medic and two other unit mem-
bers dead. The company’s EOD team leader arrived on scene,
spoke a few words of reassurance to SGT Hartswick, and then
was killed a few seconds later as he approached another IED.
SGT Hartswick suffered minor injuries from that explosion
but continued his duties as a medic, until another IED ex-
ploded shortly thereafter, causing devastating injuries to both
of his legs. Dazed but conscious, he proceeded to apply C-A-Ts SGT Adam Hartswick – combat medic presenter
to both legs. Applying the tourniquet to the second leg was
made very difficult by his missing index finger in one hand. 3. Senior Leader Remarks: Brigadier General James Dienst is
His platoon leader, who had been trained in TCCC, ignored the director of Education and Training at the Defense Health
the danger presented by the possibility of more IEDs and came Agency. In that capacity, he is directly responsible for three
to SGT Hartswick’s aid, tightening both of his tourniquets. medical training commands that graduate more than 20,000
In what would later be recognized as the 2013 DUSTOFF enlisted medical personnel annually and provide combat
Mission of the Year, DUSTOFF 68 landed at his position, trauma and joint medical operations training to more than

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