New Combat Lifesaver Bag - ArmyProperty.com

New Combat Lifesaver Bag (2005 / 2009)

The Role of the New Combat Lifesaver Bag

The Combat Lifesaver (CLS) is a non-medical soldier trained to provide advanced first aid and lifesaving procedures beyond the level of self-aid or buddy aid. Combat lifesaver training is a bridge between the first aid (self-aid/buddy-aid) training given to all soldiers during basic training and the medical training given to MOS 91W, Health Care Specialist (combat medic).

The CLS is not intended to take the place of medical personnel, but to slow deterioration of a wounded soldier's condition until medical personnel arrive. Functioning as a CLS for the soldier is a secondary mission undertaken only when the tactical situation permits.

Both active duty and Reserve Component personnel are offered a training course at the unit level, held in a group study mode. Students who successfully complete the written and performance tests are certified as Combat Lifesavers. The CLS program was originated by the Army and has been introduced in the other services as well.

Each certified CLS is issued a CLS aid bag, with nomenclature "Medical Equipment Set Combat Lifesaver" or MES CLS. The aid bag is secured as a sensitive item (like, for example, weapons or night vision devices) at the unit level. The aid bags are issued to the CLS only upon deployment for training or actual operations.

The so-called "M-3 Combat Lifesavers Bag" is the CLS MES with National Stock Number (NSN) 6545-01-254-9551 for the fully assembled kit, or NSN 6545-00-912-9870 for the carrying bag alone. The nomenclature for the bag is "Case #3" and the size is 10 x 4-1/2 x 18 inches.

How and why was the New CLS Bag developed? (This information is from the US Army Medical Materiel Command's information release regarding the New CLS bag).

"As a result of new advances in trauma management and feedback from users in the field, the Army has updated the combat lifesaver (CLS) bag. The new CLS bag combines treatment recommendations from the Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TC3) panel as well as changes in the program of instruction for CLS providers. Due to the number and type of changes made to the components, the CLS bag now has a new NSN (National Stock Number), 6545-01-532-3674 and a new unit assemblage number, 1245.  The Common Table of Allowances (CTA) is updated to reflect these numerical changes.  The long nomenclature of this CLS bag is listed as ìMES Combat Lifesaver, Version 2005î to avoid confusion with the previous version, and is populated in the medical databases of Medical Services Information Logistics Systems (MEDSILS) and the Unit Data Repository (UDR). 

Components of the new MES, with their corresponding NSN and quantity, are provided in the table below. It is important to note that although a Chitosan bandage is being authorized for inclusion in the Southwest Asia theater, it is NOT currently a component of the assemblage. Also, while the Medical Chemical Defense Materiel items of Atropine and Diazepam remain authorized in the UA and therefore listed, the assemblage will be fielded without those two items. This is to comply with the currently established centralized process for ordering these items. The new components, for ease of identification, are also listed in the ìcharacteristicsî field of MEDSILS and the UDR under the above NSN. Due to cost issues, the proposed bag in the assemblage 6545-01-537-0686, BAG, TC3, COMBAT CASUALTY CARE will not be fielded with the assemblage. The components will continue to be issued in the old bag, 6545-00-912-9870, CASE #3 10X4-1/2X18IN.  Hextend will remain a component of the CLS assemblage. This policy has been coordinated with the Office of the Surgeon General. That does not, of course, negate the unit surgeonís authority to replace that fluid with a crystalloid as he deems necessary with regard to his/her CLS providers and the mission. USAMMA/DSCP will not build multiple CLS assemblages with different intravenous fluids. That substitution can be done at the local level. DSCP is filling orders for the CLS bag with the new components. 

What are the components of the MES 2005 CLS Bag (NSN 6545-01-532-3674) ?

NSN Nomenclature U/I Qty
6545-01-537-0686 BAG,TC3,COMBAT CASUALTY CARE EA 1
6505-00-926-9083 ATROPINE INJECTION AQUEOUS TYPE 0.7ML SYRINGE WITH NEEDLE EA 5
6505-01-274-0951 DIAZEPAM INJECTION USP 5MG/ML 2ML SYRINGE-NEEDLE UNIT AUTO INJ EA 5
6515-01-519-5778 ADAPTER CATHETER TO LUER SYRINGE SHORT LOCKING 5S PG 2 ea
6510-00-926-8884 ADHESIVE TAPE SURGICAL POROUS WOVEN 3 INCHES BY 10 YARDS 4S PG 1 roll
6515-01-233-1917 AIRWAY NASOPHARYNGEAL 9MM ID 12MM OD KINK RES SMOOTH RD EDGES10S PG 1 ea
6510-00-201-1755 BANDAGE MUSLIN COMPRESSED OLIVE DRAB37X37X52" TRIANG W/SFTY PINS EA 3
6510-00-935-5823 BANDAGE ELASTIC FLESH ROLLED NONSTERILE 6"X 4.5 YDS 12S PG 1 ea
6510-01-503-2117 BANDAGE GAUZE COTTON 6 PLY WHITE 4.5" WIDE 4.1 YDS LONG RO 2 rolls
6510-01-492-2275 BANDAGE KIT ELASTIC EA 2
6510-00-597-7469 BANDAGE ADH.75X3" FLESH/CLEAR STER DRESS AFFIXED TO PLAS ADH100S PG 5 ea
6515-01-484-1327 CATHETER IV INTROCAN SAFETY 18GAX1-1/4"LG WINGED NDL TEFLON 200S PG 4 ea
6515-01-153-5373 CATHETER-NDL UNIT IV 14GAX3.25" LUER HUB AND NDL GUARD RADPQ 50S PG 1 ea
6510-00-201-7425 DRESSING FIRST AID FIELD CAMOUFLAGED 11.5-12"W 11.5-12"LG ABS EA 1 ea
6510-01-519-8421 DRESSING OCCLUSIVE ADHESIVE CLEAR 4.75X4" 5S PG 2 ea
6515-01-491-5719 GLOVE PATIENT EXAMINING & TREATMENT SZ 10LG PURPLE 4.3MIL 100S PG 4 ea
6505-01-498-8636 HETASTARCH IN LACTATED ELECTROLYTE INJECTION, 500ML PG 2 ea
6515-01-452-3445 ADMINISTRATION SET INFUSION PUMP VENTED/UNVENTED PG 1 ea
6505-00-111-7829 LUBRICANT SURGICAL 5 GRAM 144S PG 1 ea
6505-01-197-8809 ORAL REHYDRATION SALTS USP 27.9GM FOIL PACKET 125 PER PACKAGE PG 2 ea
6510-00-786-3736 PAD ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL IMPREGNATED NONWVN COTTON/RAYON WHITE 200S PG 6 ea
6510-01-010-0307 PAD POVIDONE-IODINE IMPRE STER COTTON/RAYON 2X1.375" BROWN 100S PG 6 ea
6515-00-935-7138 SCISSORS BANDAGE 7.25" LG ANG TO HDL 1.50" CUT LG BLUNT PTS CRS EA 1 ea
6515-01-494-1951 SPLINT UNIVERSAL ALUM 36"O/A LG 4.25"W GRAY & OLIVE DRAB REUSE EA 1 ea
6515-01-519-5872 SYRINGE AND NEEDLE HYPODERMIC SAFETY 3ML 23GA STER DISP 25S PG 1 EA
6515-01-146-7794 TOURNIQUET NONPNEUMATIC ADULT 14X1" BLD TAKING DSGN RUBBER O/A EA 1 ea
6515-01-521-7976 TOURNIQUET COMBAT APPLICATION ONE-HANDED EA 1 ea
6515-01-519-6764 TUBE DRAINAGE SURGICAL PENROSE 1"X18" RUBBER RADIOPAGUE STER 6S PG 1 EA

Also See: 
Warrior Aid and Litter Kit (WALK)
Improved First Aid Kit (IFAK)