Master Sgt. Scott Piper, 352nd Special Operations Support Squadron Medical Element flight chief, from Las Vegas, plays the role of a casualty in field conditions awaiting British Army Joint Tactical Air Controllers to find him and provide medical treatment during a training scenario March 6, 2013, at Stanford Training Area, near Thetford, England. Piper and other U.S. Air Force members from the 352nd SOSS spent time conducting combat medical refresher training as an ancillary part of a U.K. exercise held at STANTA range. (U.S. Air Force photo by Karen Abeyasekere/Released) From right, 1st Lt. Rob Fidler, 19 Regiment Royal Artillary Joint Tactical Air Controller officer-in-command, applies a tourniquet to a simulated injury on Master Sgt. Scott Piper, 352nd Special Operations Support Squadron Medical Element flight chief, as Bombadier Dan Needham, 19 Regiment JTAC, applies a second tourniquet to Piper’s leg March 6, 2013, at Stanford Training Area, near Thetford, England. U.S. Air Force members conducted two days of training with British JTACS from 19 Regiment from Tidworth, Wiltshire, and 3 Battallion The Rifles, from Edinburgh, Scotland, to share medical knowledge and information related to combat injuries and treatment practices U.S. and U.K. forces use in a field environment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Karen Abeyasekere/Released) British Army soldiers from 19 Regiment Royal Artillery in Tidworth, Wiltshire, and 3 Battalion The Rifles, from Edinburgh, Scotland, practice applying “Israeli” bandages in simulated field conditions March 6, 2013, at Stanford Training Area, near Thetford, England. Members from the 352nd Special Operations Support Squadron shared their medical knowledge with the British military members, teaching them medical techniques to better prepare them for working alongside other nations in a deployed environment. The training also builds camaraderie and positive relationships between U.S. and U.K. forces. (U.S. Air Force photo by Karen Abeyasekere/Released) Master Sgt. Scott Piper, 352nd Special Operations Support Squadron Medical Element flight chief, from Las Vegas, and Staff Sgt. Tyler Hamilton, 352nd SOSS independent duty medical technician from Choctaw, Okla., demonstrate to British Army members how quickly a Talon litter can be unfolded and made ready to carry a patient March 6, 2013, at Stanford Training Area, near Thetford, England. British Army soldiers from 19 Regiment Royal Artillery in Tidworth, Wiltshire, and 3 Battalion The Rifles, from Edinburgh, Scotland, spent two days with U.S. Air Force members learning different medical techniques to use in a deployed environment to help save people's lives from many different nations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Karen Abeyasekere/Released) From left, Bombardier Dan Needham from Coalville, Leicestershire; Warrant Officer Class 2 David Cooper from Tidworth, Wiltshire; and Lt. Rob Fidler from Aberdeen, Scotland, all 19 Regiment Royal Artillery in Tidworth, Wiltshire, quickly perform necessary checks on a simulated casualty during training in field conditions March 6, 2013, at Stanford Training Area, near Thetford, England. The British Army soldiers, all Joint Tactical Air Controllers, spent two days learning about U.S. medical techniques from members of the 352nd Special Operations Support Squadron Medical Element, from RAF Mildenhall. The British soldiers and American Airmen worked together sharing knowledge and building partnerships to help prepare them for emergency situations in a deployed environment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Karen Abeyasekere/Released) A British Army soldier from 19 Regiment Royal Artillery from Tidworth, Wiltshire, completes a casualty’s MIST card March 6, 2013, listing mechanism, injury sustained, symptoms and treatment given at Stanford Training Area, near Thetford, England. The card is then attached to the casualty as he or she is put on a casualty evacuation vehicle, providing vital information for medics, allowing them to keep track of injuries, treatments and any medication given to patients. Members of the 352nd Special Operations Support Squadron Medical Element provided training to personnel from 19 Regiment and 3 Battalion The Rifles, from Edinburgh, Scotland. (U.S. Air Force photo by Karen Abeyasekere/Released) Master Sgt. Scott Piper, center, 352nd Special Operations Support Squadron Medical Element flight chief, from Las Vegas, briefs members of the British Army March 6, 2013, at Stanford Training Area, near Thetford, England. Piper helped inform the U.K. military members of the U.S. practices in recovering an injured person in the field. The procedure is to deal with any obvious wounds, look for a fatal wound, stop the bleeding, then move the patient to a safe place then bandage the wound. (U.S. Air Force photo by Gina Randall/Released) Staff Sgt. Tyler Hamilton, right, 352nd Special Operations Support Squadron independent medical technician from Naples, Fla., advises British Army members Sgt. Jay Eggleton, left, from Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, and Sgt. Daz Sobey, center, from Plymouth, Devon, both 19 Regiment Royal Artillery U.K. Joint Tactical Air Controllers, on how to move a patient to safety if fired upon March 6, 2013, at Stanford Training Area, near Thetford, England. Throughout the day a mannequin was first used, but the U.S. military members later played the role of casualties in need of medical assistance in the simulated attacks. (U.S. Air Force photo by Gina Randall/Released) Sgt. Daz Sobey, 19 Regiment Royal Artillery U.K. Joint Tactical Air Controller from Plymouth, Devon, checks a casualty evacuation nine-line card used to record patient vital statistics March 6, 2013, at Stanford Training Area, near Thetford, England. Part of the card stays with the patient on their helicopter journey to the hospital to inform medical personnel of the patient’s medical history, while another part is kept by the rescuer as a way of communication. (U.S. Air Force photo by Gina Randall/Released) Staff Sgt. Tyler Hamilton, center, 352nd Special Operations Support Squadron independent medical technician, from Naples, Fla., acts as the patient in a simulated attack March 6, 2013, at Stanford Training Area, near Thetford, England. Sgt. Shaun Smith, left, 3 Battalion The Rifles U.K. Joint Tactical Air Controller, applies a tourniquet to Hamilton’s leg to stop a wound from bleeding while Sgt. Jay Eggleton, right, 19 Regiment Royal Artillery U.K. JTAC, from Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, checks his pulse on his wrist. (U.S. Air Force photo by Gina Randall/Released) 352nd SOSS shares medical knowledge with British Army by Karen Abeyasekere 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs 3/11/2013 - STANFORD TRAINING AREA, England -- British Army Joint Tactical Air Controllers with the 19 Regiment Royal Artillery from Tidworth, Wiltshire, and 3 Battallion The Rifles, from Edinburgh, Scotland, learned about U.S. methods for treating combat injuries March 5 and 6, 2013, when U.S. Air Force personnel from the 352nd Special Operations Support Squadron Medical Element conducted combat medical refresher training at Stanford Training Area near Thetford, England. The training enabled the U.S. and U.K. participants to share medical knowledge and information relating to combat injuries and treatment practices in a field environment, said Maj. Michael Hall, 352nd SOSS Medical Element chief of medical plans. "We learned much from each other and found similarities in knowledge and information, but with some nuances in technique and equipment," Hall said. "It's the knowledge of these nuances that makes both parties better prepared to face injuries on the battlefield." Working in conjunction with a U.K. exercise conducted at STANTA, Team Mildenhall members shared their expertise and medical knowledge, passing on many techniques to the British soldiers, including different positions for placing a tourniquet and performing a needle decompression on a collapsed lung. The 352nd SOSS Medical Element supports special operations forces in a medical capacity. They also provide medical coverage for the outgoing mission crews. "That's our main 'bread-and-butter,' for the (352nd) SOG," Hall said. "We also perform casualty evacuations, moving casualties from what could be the point of injury to hospital care, which is usually at a forward operating base or staging base where we have more medical assets." These advanced medical assets are used to then stabilize and treat patients, preparing them for evacuation to safer areas. "Our typical team is a special operations forces medical element; it's a three-person team consisting of a flight surgeon and two independent duty medical technicians," Hall explained. "The IDMTs (enlisted medics) are more of a 'super-medic,' because they have many certifications that your typical paramedic may not have." Hall said because of the medical element, they like to train with U.K. special forces. "We're sharing our knowledge with them in the hopes that when we're downrange together, we each have a knowledge and appreciation of the other's skills and training," the San Antonio native said. "One of the biggest things out in the field is that we don't know if we're going to be saving the life of a U.K., U.S., or other partner-nation soldier. At the same time, our forces don't know if they're going to have a U.S. or U.K. medic, or other partner-nation medic saving their lives - that's why it's important that we get out and get to know our partner nations and their medical capabilities and skills." Hall emphasized how joint training is a force multiplier, establishing knowledge and trust between forces achieving a common goal. During this training event, U.S. medics put the JTACs in different field scenarios, including having them under fire and coming across casualties. The medics then split into teams, each working together to provide immediate medical attention to those injured, first in the form of a mannequin, followed by the 352nd SOSS members role-playing as patients. The British Army JTACs said they also appreciated the chance to learn from their American counterparts. "The way things are going in Afghanistan has really identified the need to work within coalition forces," said Lt. Rob Fidler, 19 Regiment RA officer-in-command. "As JTACs, we work with different nations and for us this is a nice little 'cherry on the top' for our week's training (at STANTA), and I think this is the way it's going to go in the future. "(Regarding our work method) - we get a casualty, we react, treat and move them off - the way (Americans) do it is very similar to how we do it," the British officer from Aberdeen, Scotland, said. "We've just come back from Afghanistan, but we're building up our training again as we move to the future; the way it's going to work is with other nations, so it seemed (wise) to bring these guys in." Fidler said during the exercise at STANTA, he and his soldiers had been working with Fast Air and Apache helicopters. "Working with Apaches is our core trade, but it's always good to mix it up," he said. "This week we've also been working with Typhoons and Tornados, all British aircraft, though from time-to-time we work with U.S. F-15s and F-16s." The officer-in-command emphasized how the two nations working alongside each other can only be a win-win situation. "Our training requirement is ever-ongoing and I see this as building up relationships and working with other nations," Fidler said. "The Americans are a massive resource, so (it's good) to tap into that, and also they're good fun. They want to work with the host nation and we want them to work with us." Hall agreed. "Camaraderie between forces is also a benefit of learning from each other as we did this week," he said. "In the end, it's all about saving lives."