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AGANA HEIGHTS, Guam (Dec. 17, 2025) - U.S. Navy Sailors completed Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) training at Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) Guam on Dec. 17, strengthening the command’s ability to respond to combat-related mass casualty events in support of warfighting operations across the Pacific theater.
Located in a strategically vital region, Guam serves as a critical hub for U.S. military operations in the Indo-Pacific, making medical readiness and rapid trauma response essential to supporting joint and naval forces operating throughout the area.
The training was led by Chief Hospital Corpsman Edgar Gonzalez, TCCC instructor, NMRTC Guam, alongside instructors Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Williams Cruz, Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Brianna Blackston, Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Devin Rex, and Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Kamila Gracias-Ray. The team focused on Tier III TCCC skills critical for Sailors serving aboard ships and expeditionary medical platforms, where rapid trauma care may be required for casualties evacuated from ground combat environments.
Eight Sailors from multiple operational backgrounds participated in the training, including personnel assigned to submarines, explosive ordnance disposal units, Seabees, shipboard commands, National Guard elements, reservists, and other service branches. The diverse group reflected the joint and expeditionary nature of medical support required in the Pacific region.
“This training helps close readiness gaps for Navy Medicine,” Gonzalez said. “It reinforces that we’re not just hospital staff but we’re part of the warfighting team, and we have to be ready at any moment.”
Maintaining combat trauma proficiency remains essential, even for hospital-based medical personnel.
“Hospital based Corpsmen must stay current on combat trauma skills because we can be called to support operational forces at any time,” Blackston said. “Whether we’re working in a clinical environment or responding to a contingency, those skills directly translate to saving lives in combat.”
During scenario-based drills, participants applied the MARCHPAWS algorithm — massive hemorrhage, airway, respiration, circulation, hypothermia/head injury, pain, antibiotics, wounds, and splinting — while treating casualties suffering from abdominal evisceration, wounds, and severe bleeding. Sailors practiced tourniquet application, conversion of tourniquets into pressure dressings, wound packing, airway management, and administering lifesaving medications such as tranexamic acid (TXA), calcium, and blood products.
“These skills directly strengthen our ability to respond to combat-related mass casualties in the Pacific,” Rex said. “Our medical platforms have to be ready to receive patients from ground combat elements and immediately address life-threatening injuries.”
Instructors observed strong teamwork and peer accountability throughout the training. Participants actively corrected one another using standardized TCCC checklists and engaged instructors with questions to ensure proper equipment use and technique.
“We saw Sailors take ownership of the training,” Gracias-Ray said. “They led their teams, corrected mistakes, and made sure everyone understood the process. That kind of engagement is exactly what we want to see.”
Participants said the hands-on, high-stress environment improved their confidence and preparedness.
“The realistic scenarios really pushed us,” said Hospitalman Sarah Annala, a participant in the training. “It helped build confidence and reinforced how quickly we need to act in real-world emergencies.”
The TCCC training is conducted monthly over a two-week period, ensuring Sailors across the command maintain proficiency and remain prepared to respond to emergencies at any time. By sustaining combat-relevant trauma training, U.S NMRTC Guam continues to enhance its medical readiness and ability to support joint and naval forces throughout the Indo-Pacific region.
“TCCC is the baseline for saving lives,” said Gonzalez. In a conflict, everyone depends on each other. This training ensures our Sailors are prepared to respond immediately and effectively when it matters most.
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