April 17, 2025 | By Kirk Frady
UNITED KINGDOM – U.S. Army medical Soldiers assigned to the European Simulation Center at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, had the opportunity to be part of a multi-national team that administered advanced combat medical skills training to Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel during an intense six-week training course held recently in the United Kingdom.
Military medical personnel from New Zealand, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom also took part in the training.
U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Timothy Sargent was among the U.S. contingent that travelled to the United Kingdom recently to take part in the Platoon Combat Medical Training Course as part of Operation Interbow.
According to a report published by the British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS), since the start of the war, more than 52,000 Ukrainians have been trained in the United Kingdom in basic battlefield first aid and over 450 in combat medic skills.
The tailored medical training program includes delivering care with little to no light, dealing with mass casualties, caring for trauma patients for lengthy periods with barely any resources, delivering care in transit and some chemical warfare scenarios.
“The training was well received by the Ukrainian soldiers,” said Sgt. 1st Class Timothy Sargent, non-commissioned officer-in-charge of the European Medical Simulation Center at Landstuhl. “We primarily served as lead instructors for the course as well as providing medical support and facilitating training.”
According to UK medical officials, the Ukrainian students come from all kinds of backgrounds. Some are doctors, others are architects and electricians with no formal knowledge of how to save lives. The intense six-week-long course can teach around 50 Ukrainian trainees at a time.
“The course we took part in was a mixture of individuals with previous medical training and those with no prior medical experience,” added Sargent. “The training we provided, Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC), is the internationally recognized common standard for treating combat casualties on the battlefield. Countries around the world are adapting to and want to learn TCCC concepts.”
According to the BFBS report, as the war in Ukraine has progressed, their needs have changed, and this training has been specially designed to cover areas requested by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
“Being able to train a group of Ukrainians in tactical combat medicine, many of whom are likely now using it on the battlefield, is very rewarding.” Sargent added. “The Ukrainians are very kindhearted and grateful, and I enjoyed learning about their culture.”
