PINEVILLE, La. – About 70 combat medic specialists completed a recertification training to maintain their credentials from Jan. 22-31 at Camp Beauregard.
The course brought together Louisiana National Guard medics, U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers and Guardsmen from other states who risked losing their 68W combat medical certification if they did not complete the training.
The two-week course consisted of three required components: Emergency Medical Technician, or EMT; Basic Life Support, or BLS; and military occupational specialty, or MOS, recertification.
“We had EMT, BLS and MOS recertification,” said Staff Sgt. Kalyn Clifton, a combat medic with 3rd Battalion, 156th Infantry Regiment, 256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. “EMT and BLS are required to maintain the 68W MOS and ensure medics meet both national and military medical standards through National Registry Emergency Medical Technician certification.”
Instruction included 72 hours of pre-hospital trauma life support, psychological trauma in emergency medical services patients and a one-day BLS and cardiopulmonary resuscitation course.
The course concluded with a comprehensive skills certification that combined techniques taught throughout the training.
“This course highlights the importance of standardization and the need to regularly refresh core medical skills,” Clifton said. “My scope of practice in my civilian job is very different, so it’s valuable to practice the full range of 68W tasks and responsibilities to remain confident and prepared to operate within the medic scope during military missions.”
Clifton, a Bossier City native, is an intensive care unit, or ICU, registered nurse and said the training benefits both her military and civilian roles.
“The foundation of this training is the ability to assess and manage critically ill patients under immense pressure, which directly translates to my work in the ICU,” Clifton said. “Patient deterioration is often unpredictable, and being trained to remain calm, think critically and follow structured algorithms is essential to patient safety. Repeated exposure to high-stress scenarios during this course strengthened my clinical decision-making and prepared me for the fast-paced environment of critical care.”
“The first half of the course focuses on EMT content, with testing completed by the midway point,” Clifton said. “The second half shifts to 68W-specific training, emphasizing trauma care and combat-related medical skills.”
The Louisiana National Guard typically conducts two 68W sustainment courses each year. Medics are required to complete recertification every two years to maintain their qualifications.