Hey XXXX, I was the Sniper that was missing his fingers from 3/4’s last deployment you meet at the ADS Expo at Pendleton. Sorry I couldn’t get this email off last week, but I got caught up with work.
I was the Chief Scout for XXXX, ### XXXX on their 2011 deployment to the XXXX ###, Afghanistan. My Sniper team took two casualties while on that deployment. It was because of your gear that the two of us are still alive. Before we left on the
deployment every member of the battalion was given Medium Trauma Kit and a Vickers Combat Application Sling. Everyone was excited at how nice and effective the Trauma Kits were compared to anything we had seen before. No one really knew just how many lives such a simple piece of gear would end up saving. We soon started to find out once we got to Afghanistan.
The first firefight that my team got into our Corpsman got shot in the left forearm within the first enemy volley. Even with a gunshot wound to his arm he was still able to reach his Blue Force Gear Trauma Kit and pull it out. By the time the next closest team member got to the casualty he already had a pressure dressing ready to apply to the wound. Then once the casualty was treated and ready to move it was very easy to recover the remainder of his medical supplies within seconds and move out of the area to a landing zone. This was only possible because of the great design of the Blue Force Gear Trauma Kit.
It wasn’t long until I got to experience the effectiveness of the Blue Force Gear Trauma Kit and the Vickers Combat Application Sling. On June 21, 2011 my Sniper team was tasked with reconnoitering a compound in order to set up a hide site. My team left in the early evening to clear this compound. It didn’t take us long to get there and begin the clearing. Once the compound was deemed “clear” myself and three others entered to do a sketch of the compound and determine how we wanted to set up the hide later that night. After everything was completed I was talking to the engineer who cleared it and an EOD Marine. Once we had finished our short conversation we all turned to walk away. I had barely turned when I heard and felt a large explosion right behind me which propelled me through the air 10 ft from where I was standing. Before I even hit the ground I knew what had happened, one of us had triggered an Improvised Explosive Device. Once I landed I could feel intense pain in my left arm and I knew that I needed a tourniquet as well as some pressure dressings. I reached down with my uninjured arm and pulled out my Blue Force Gear Trauma Kit placing it on my chest. I then unclipped my M4 which was held in place by a Vickers Combat Application Sling. After that I pulled the tourniquet off of my Trauma Kit and waited for the closest team member to get to me and render aid. Within just a few seconds of the dust settling other team members began rendering aid to the three wounded, myself being one of the three. It was because of the extremely effective Blue Force Gear Trauma Kits that all three individuals were able to be saved and I’m able to be typing this email to you. I’m positive if it hadn’t been for the Blue Force Gear Trauma Kits that we had on that day there would have been a much different result. The amount of effort and speed you can employ the Blue Force Gear Trauma Kit is unprecedented and is truly saving the lives of service members on the battlefield. The Vickers Combat Application Sling also held all three of our rifles in place even after being launched through the air by the Improvised Explosive Device. Just to give you an idea of the force that the Vickers Combat Application Sling withstood, before I got blown up I had a nomex glove, a watch, and my long sleeve Frog top on, when I hit the ground my left arm was bare. The glove, watch, and sleeve that were there seconds before now were nowhere to be seen, but what was still there was my M4 held in place by my Vickers Combat Application Sling.
After I was medevaced to Camp XXXX, ### my sling and trauma kit were burned because they had blood all over them. I am writing this email to say thank you for making such a great piece of gear. I probably would have bled out if it hadn’t been for your gear and how effective it is. Thanks again.
Sgt. Joshua XXXXXX
Instructor
Pre Scout Sniper Course
1st MARDIV Schools
