I had the great privilege to take the S.O.B. Tactical Basic Trauma Management Course (BTMC) from Mike “Witch Doc” Voytko this past weekend down in North Carolina near Fort Bragg. If you don’t know who Mike is, you should…because he knows his stuff. Besides being a retired Special Forces Medical Sergeant (18D), Mike currently teaches at the Joint Special Operations Medical Training Center (JSOMTC). This is the schoolhouse that produces 18Ds after a 50-week course. Mike also had the distinction of serving on a Special Mission Unit as a Saber Squadron medic…so; to say he has some experience in trauma management is an understatement. The class started at a little after 9:00am on Saturday on a picturesque piece of property...
I don’t like reading long dissertation style after-action reports on classes so, I’ll try and keep this short, informative, and to the point. Any time that I go check-out a new instructor / teacher, I always make it a point to take one of their basic courses. It’s a great way to be introduced to an instructor / teacher and it’s a great way for you to be introduced to them. Trust me, as an instructor / teacher myself, getting to know your students (their capabilities – strengths and weaknesses) is uber important. Also, if an instructor can’t teach the fundamentals well… well, that’s a bad sign. As such, I took the Defensive Carbine for AR Platforms I course from...
I am a fairly observant person, partly by my nature and partly through training. Being aware of your surroundings and being aware of the people around you helps set you up for success. The more I look around today the more I see people who are completely unaware of their surroundings. Most people walk around with 2 of their 5 traditional senses compromised. We’re blessed by our creator with a set of sensors that are leaps and bounds above anything out there – our ability to see, hear, taste, smell, and touch allow us to be a sensory fusion center that is unmatched by any machine. These senses provide us and have been providing humanity the ability to detect danger...
