By Drew Brooks
The Fayetteville Observer
FORT BRAGG, N.C. — More than two dozen Fort Bragg medics are better prepared to provide life-saving care, thanks to a partnership between Womack Army Medical Center and Fayetteville Technical Community College.
Officials from both organizations celebrated the graduation Thursday of 26 soldiers and two civilian paramedics from the first Fort Bragg Paramedic Course.
The graduation, which had been delayed a week because of Hurricane Matthew, marked the end a nine-month course that included more than 600 hours of classroom learning and 600 hours of hands-on experience at local hospitals and in the back of ambulances serving the Fort Bragg region.
Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Stoddard, the senior enlisted leader of Womack Army Medical Center, said the course allowed Fort Bragg soldiers to train locally, instead of being sent to a military base in Texas.
It also helps improve medical care on Fort Bragg, by allowing more soldiers to receive training beyond what they would typically receive.
Congrats!!! @FtBraggNC Paramedics Course graduates! Job well done. pic.twitter.com/naqsFPMn4f
— Womack AMC (@WomackAMC) October 20, 2016
“It can do nothing but make us better,” Stoddard said.
Speaking to the graduates, the command sergeant major said they should be proud of their accomplishments following a complex and difficult curriculum.
“To graduate today, it’s taken a lot of hard work,” Stoddard said, calling the graduation a significant milestone not only for the soldiers, but for Fort Bragg and FTCC.
The course, Stoddard said, has set conditions for a continued partnership.
Cross Creek Pipes and Drums perform at the Fort Bragg Paramedic Course Graduation #HappeningNow pic.twitter.com/FdGB2iUSri
— Fayetteville Tech (@FAYTECHCC) October 20, 2016
It’s a partnership that resumes next week, according to Bryant Stepp, a FTCC paramedic instructor.
Stepp, a former Navy corpsman, said 27 soldiers will be in the second paramedic class, which is scheduled to start Monday.
That course has been condensed, from nine to six months, based on feedback from the inaugural class, he said.
Stepp said he was impressed by the soldiers, who completed the course amid their other duties. Only two soldiers were unable to complete the course.
“These guys have grown,” he said. “They have learned so much.”
During Thursday’s graduation, Stoddard challenged the soldiers to serve as examples for their fellow medics and, more important, work to avoid complacency and continue pushing themselves to learn more and improve.
“This is not just a job,” he said. “Being a paramedic is a big deal. It’s a huge deal. You should always be relevant. You should always be ready. And you should always be proud.”
Graduates included soldiers from Womack, but also from across the rest of Fort Bragg, including the 82nd Airborne Division, 44th Medical Brigade and the 16th Military Police Brigade.
The course is part of an effort to push for higher standards within the Army medical community, officials said.
A typical Army medic has EMT-Basic certification. But graduates of the Fort Bragg-FTCC course become eligible EMT-Paramedic certified, putting their training in line with civilian paramedics and special operations medics.
Stoddard said there was no more fitting installation to host the paramedic course than Fort Bragg.
The post is constantly balancing missions to keep its force ready and care for the local military population.
No other military installation offers the complexities of Fort Bragg, which is among the most active training installations in the Army and is home to steady deployments and the largest population of soldiers and family members.
Having more skilled and better prepared medics fulfills both of those goals, Stoddard said.
Not only do Fort Bragg medics become more qualified to provide care, their skills improve the pre-hospital care they give on drop zones or amid training exercises or during possible short notice deployments for combat or humanitarian missions.
“There’s no better place in the world to grow and develop these skills,” he said.
Keeping the training local is more cost effective, he said. It also cuts down on the amount of time soldiers have to be away from their homes.
The graduates said they were appreciative of that, as it helped them stay close to their families and friends during the difficult coursework.
Spc. Ignatius Acheampong, who works in Womack’s emergency department, said the course was tough, but worth it.
Acheampong said he believes himself to be a better medic and a better soldier after the training.
“It feels great,” he said.
Another graduate who works in the emergency department, Spc. Matthew Struys, said he could see himself grow throughout the course, as he improved skills he already had while learning new medical techniques that could eventually help him save lives.
“I feel more confident already,” he said.
Struys said staying at Fort Bragg for the course helped, but he said future students shouldn’t assume anything in the course will be easy.
He gave simple advice to Fort Bragg’s second class of paramedics.
“Study,” Struys said. “Definitely study.”
Copyright 2016 The Fayetteville Observer