There's a scene early on where Luttrell says that he has lost his medical kit and ends up plugging his colleague's wound with dirt. I know that teams usually have a member who is designated the medic, but don't all soldiers normally carry a basic medic kit for wounds etc? Is that part of the film inaccurate or were they really that badly equipped?
shareI don't recall any reference in his book but in the American Sniper book he makes a few comments about each man carrying a basic medical kit. However this team were on a recon mission and were travelling light so maybe just the medic did this time around ? That's my guess anyway.
shareSEALs aren't soldiers. Not harping or nitpicking just educating. Marines aren't soldiers. SEALs, Sailors, Marines, Airmen, Soldiers. General terms and definitions sure soldier fits but, we have all earned our individual titles. Uses them.
Luttrell was a Hospital Corpsman, Navy speak for medic. A SEAL Corpsman is actually much more than a typical medic, they are very capable of handling significant trauma and advanced lifesaving. So Luttrell's medkit is going to be much more significant than any other typical medkit.
There are individual medical kits. There are slightly more capable first responder medical kits. And then there are Medics kits that are vastly more capable. Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and SEALs that are not medics/corpsman will usually carry what is called IFAK (Individual First Aid Kit) at present. IFAKs are typically 4x8x2 pouches. A SEAL Corpsman Med Pack is a whole 2000 cubic inch back pack.
As for the dirt thing, there is a ideology when it comes to treating trauma: ABC or Airway, Breathing and Circulation. You have to make sure those 3 areas are primary and treated first when treat trauma or there is no point. Stopping bleeding is paramount in trauma and in the field you must do whatever it takes to maintain circulation, even if it means using field-expediant methods. So stuffing a profusely bleeding wound with dirt is fully realistic when it comes to combat lifesaving techniques.
You are taking a dump and they call GQ do you pinch it off or finish your business?
SEALs aren't soldiers. Not harping or nitpicking just educating. Marines aren't soldiers. SEALs, Sailors, Marines, Airmen, Soldiers. General terms and definitions sure soldier fits but, we have all earned our individual titles. Uses them.
Service member(s) would be it.
You are taking a dump and they call GQ do you pinch it off or finish your business?
I think with the wounds they all received from gunshots and falling a basic medikit wouldn't help much except for immediate care. You would need to carry a lot of supplies to treat someone in the field for those injuries and they obviously didn't plan on taking on an entire Taliban force on a recon/ assassination mission
share