Fijian CLS

I was tasked to help the New Zealand Army go do Operational Readiness Checks at a few of the outposts in Northern Sinai today and I will go again tomorrow. My job was to observe them doing combat lifesaver (CLS) skills and assess them. Today we went to Fijibatt to check in on the Fijians and tomorrow we will go to Colbatt and look in on the Colombians. 

Let me start out by saying the Fijians are the nicest people I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. Their hospitality and kindness is through the roof. I can't wait to go back out to the Fijian outposts and teach them CLS... because some of the things I saw being done to "casualties" today were darn right crazy. 

I could tell the Fijians at both outposts I visited today were competent in their CLS skills for the most part. They just were not executing their skills for the right injuries. 

For instance, I moulaged a casualty to have lacerations on the face. By the time the casualty was moved into the building, this is what I saw:

 

He is in an upside down C collar, sitting upright on a long spine board. For facial lacerations. Bless their hearts, they tried. 

I also saw this on 2 separate occasions, I moulaged a casualty to have an open fracture in the lower arm. I got this:

This, first off, has a donut of kerlix around the bone to immobilize it. Then a pressure dressing was cranked down over the fracture. Then some thin strips of cloth were draped around the neck and arm to form some kind of sling. And somehow a tourniquet was thrown on, I didn't see when that got there. 

I asked them who taught them this method for treating a fracture and they replied, "The Americans." Oh Lordy, what have my people done!? 

The Americans they speak of are the National Guard. The Fijians don't know the difference between Active Duty and National Guard-- we wear the exact same uniform! But there is a big difference and their CLS skills showed it! 

I can't wait to get back out to the Fijian outposts and teach them what they really need to know. They seemed so eager to learn the little bit I had a chance to show them today. They're really nice dudes.