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 “MES Combat Lifesaver, Version 2005” 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 “characteristics” 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 surgeon’s 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) ?

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

 

 

 

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