Ukrainian troops tremendously benefit from US support for receiving specialized skills related to rescue and medical care on the battlefield. Such assistance not only plays a vital role in ensuring the safety of soldiers but also helps protect civilian lives amid the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine.
“We have to have that trust between teams to make sure that they know our process, and even with the language barrier, that we are able to treat whatever casualty – whether Ukrainian, Romanian, American, etc.,” said US Army Sgt. Jong Han, a combat medic specialist in 1-16IN, 1/1ID. “We’re all able to do our job, get them treated, and get them evacuated out to the next level of care.”
Whitler stated that when they commenced the instructions, some Ukrainians had already been schooled by US personnel prior to that, while others were utterly inexperienced regarding the military “due to the current situation in Ukraine.”
The necessity of medical training for combat cannot be overstated; the Ukrainian military has experienced thousands of casualties since the Russian invasion started in February 2022. Moreover, there is no indication that the conflict will end soon, as the Russian Army attacks Ukrainian positions and bombing cities.
Col. Marty O’Donnell, a US Army Europe and Africa spokesperson, said that the training they were providing was intended to “give the Ukrainian Armed Forces the means to protect themselves from the Russian onslaught and prevent possible loss of life.” According to O’Donnell, this venture is under the direction of the US European Command, the US Army Europe and Africa, and the Security Assistance Group-Ukraine.
The training the Ukrainians received was comparable to that of US soldiers. However, unlike the latter, these Ukrainians had just been in a combat zone and were preparing to return.
Whitler mentioned that Ukrainian troops usually referred to real-life cases from the conflict happening only a few miles away. They would inquire about the correct steps if a similar injury were reencountered. In certain situations, they wanted to know how to save their fellow combatant if they had been aware of the correct methods.
Whitler commented, “It was difficult to talk to them, yet we were able to give them some comfort in knowing they did all they could, and there was nothing more a surgeon could have done even if they were in the operating room.”
Though Whitler and Ballard have stepped away from providing the training, it has still evolved. McCarthy and Staff Sgt. Desirie Carson, two National Guard soldiers from New York, added that it now involves mannequin simulations, practicing how to handle mass casualty events, and treating burns and fractures.
According to Ballard, it was evident that many were aware that they would soon return to the situation they were trying to understand and potentially reencounter the same challenges.
At times, the Americans wanted to listen, and, as a form of reassurance, they told their Ukrainian counterparts that they had done an exceptional job and could not have done anything better.
Whitler remembered conversations with Ukrainian soldiers impacted by Russian shelling and displaying indications of traumatic brain damage, such as dizziness, headaches, and irritability. He could sense their displeasure but reassured them that their reactions were to be expected.
“I think we did provide a little bit of comfort in that way,” she said, “that they knew ‘I should be experiencing this, and hopefully it will go away.'”
Though the Americans and Ukrainians had varying backgrounds and were in different circumstances, the language barrier and their shared knowledge of returning to the battlefield soon did not impede them from finding those moments all soldiers share that transcends culture.
Ballard humorously remarked that even among medical personnel, the smoke break is a “universal” language among the military and that in order to have a small quantity of fun, they engage in activities such as swapping uniform patches, lighting up cigars during smoke breaks, and competing in training exercises.
These downtimes would usually lead to them instructing the Ukrainian personnel about the nasopharyngeal airway, a slender tube inserted through a patient’s nose to unblock their airway.
“We would ask for a volunteer, and, of course, one of the older gentlemen would throw up one of the younger gentlemen to go up,” Ballard said, smiling. Everyone would gather around as closely as they could and watch as they inserted the tube into the soldier’s nose.
“Hearing people’s reactions, it’s the exact same way that all the soldiers I’ve taught have reacted. But watching them do it was absolutely hilarious,” she said, “and was just one of those bonding moments to have with them I think is definitely going to stick with me.”
“Those moments made it all the more difficult to see them leave at the end of the training. Whitler and Ballard recalled a graduation ceremony for their Ukrainian partners to acknowledge all they’d learned and done. It was “very emotional,” Ballard said.
“They’re fighting for their lives,” Ballard said. “And they’re fighting for their home. And the absolute least we can do is try to help them.”
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