The experience gained on the ground, in the last two decades, by Italian military personnel engaged in missions abroad has indisputably highlighted the need to have health workers able to intervene in a very short time.
This need is particularly felt by the detachments of the Special Forces which, precisely due to the nature of their operations, act in isolated contexts without the medical support which conventional departments generally use (even if this was not possible in the case of lagoon Matteo Vanzan, who died in Iraq in 2004, following the injuries sustained by the explosions of 60 mm mortar rounds).
Some operators of the Special Sectionin fact, they are sent to the United States to attend the course Special Operations Combat Medic (SOCM), lasting about a year, at Fort Bragg.
It is composed of theoretical phases during which operators study specific modules of anatomy, physiology, pathology, medical clinic, pharmacology, preventive medicine, obstetrics and CBRN (Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear).
Students acquire specialized skills in different macro-areas such as Combat Trauma Management (CTM) and the Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC), as well as in the use of techniques, diagnostic strategies and victim rescue procedures in hostile contexts.
To demonstrate their learning, operators must take 32 written exams, which once successfully passed, allow access to the practical phase, organized by levels of increasing difficulty: it starts with the achievement of the patent BLS (Basic Life Support), ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support), and then move on to specific training in the management of a polytraumatized injured person, in TCCC (Tactical Combat Casualty Care) and in PFC (Prolonged Field Care).
If the candidate manages to pass all these phases and the final test of "Special Operation Advanced Tactical Paramedic", he can access the "rotation" or hospital module, during which the operator can work in the Medical Services of Emergency US (EMS), which are emergency services that treat illnesses and injuries by providing an urgent medical response and subsequent transportation to the nearest hospital.
Successful completion of the SOCM course certifies students as National EMT (Emergency MedicalTechnician) and military paramedic, BLS (Basic Life Support), to the Pediatric Education for Pre-Hospital Providers andAdvanced Cardiac Life Support.
However, the professional figure of the paramedic is not recognized in Italy.
To remedy this gap (following the draft law of the Forza Italia deputy Matteo Perego di Cremnago) with the Decree of the Ministry of Defense, in agreement with the Ministry of Health, it is established that: "Taking into account the specific circumstances that characterize the Special Operations and the need to guarantee the immediacy and continuity of the rescue interventions, the qualification of Military Rescuer for the Special Forces is established, in possession of a qualification obtained after attending special training courses, which can carry out basic and advanced support maneuvers of vital functions and for basic and advanced support in the pre-hospital management phase of the trauma patient ".
It should be remembered that the Fighting Medic however, he is a raider, who must perform all the combat tasks assigned to him within the operational detachment.
Photo: US Air Force
