Introduction
It is virtually guaranteed that on any mission involving direct enemy contact, someone will suffer serious or life-threatening trauma to the head or body.
You have to be prepared for that. But how? By having a Combat Medic bag specific to that endeavor with you on every mission.
Accordingly, your Direct Action bag must contain medical and non-medical equipment sufficient to at least temporarily stabilize an injured person suffering the worst types of trauma. This is the “Gold Standard” for direct action bags.
Your motto when packing the Direct Action bag should be “Semper Gumby” – that’s Latin for “always flexible”.
Flexibility is key because if you’re packing the same items over and over again, or you only have a single packing technique, you’re bound to fail.
You should also get used to seeing more in a Direct Action bag than just an ordinary bag. I like to have two with me – a large bag with very powerful and life-saving medicines and equipment, and a small bag with various supplies.
If you only have one bag it’s certainly nice if it’s filled with tourniquets, but you won’t score with your commander if he complains to you about a pesky headache caused by one of his boys because he misplaced his night vision goggles again.
The boss comes to you for an aspirin, not for a bleed control. Unfortunately, with all the TQs in the bag, there was no room for aspirin. And that’s exactly why you need the smaller second bag.
You can store everything in the second pocket, from bandages to batteries. Otherwise, without that second bag, you’re as useless as a lieutenant without a compass.
Only multipurpose items (those that can double duty) should be in this bag to save on the limited space – in other words, apply a Ranger rule here: “One is none, two is one.”
As you pack this second bag, remember that you will want to have items with you that will help you complete the M.A.R.C.H. fulfill protocol.
At the same time, note that you shouldn’t pack too much stuff in the bag that it gets in the way. The heavier you make yourself, the slower you move; and the slower you move, the easier a target you become.
These Items Should Be In Your Direct Action Bag
When it comes to the contents of your Direct Action Bag, we start on the outside and work our way inside.
I attached a carabiner to the outside of my own bag. If you’re like me, you’ll find this useful as you can use it to attach all sorts of things to the bag.
THESE ITEMS SHOULD BE IN YOUR DIRECT ACTION BAG
When it comes to the contents of your Direct Action Bag, we start on the outside and work our way inside.
I attached a carabiner to the outside of my own bag. If you’re like me, you’ll find this useful as you can use it to attach all sorts of things to the bag.
For example, scissors – this is an item you should have handy in situations where you need to free blood-caked clothing from the wound site. That’s why it belongs on the outside of the bag and not on the inside.
Another thing you can wear on the outside of the bag are handcuffs – great if you need to patch up an injured prisoner without the risk of them grabbing your scissors and slitting your throat (but handcuffs are great for practical ones too). pranks to play on a newbie in your unit or as inspiration for your bedroom).
These things are in my Direct Action bag:
- Combat Gauze (2)
- rescue blanket
- emergency bandage
- flashlight
- Bandage tape
- epi pen
- Elastic bandages (2)
- Blue rubber gloves (the blue makes it easy to spot blood that gets on your hands when examining an injured person; I recommend having at least several pairs with you)
- Abdominal dressing bandage
- clamps (2)
- Plastic bag
- CAT tourniquet
- NCD needle
- HALO Chest Seal
- Cric Kit
- NPA with lubricant
As you can see, there is nothing special in the bag because I want to keep its overall weight down while maximizing my ability to offer the best possible assistance to the wounded.
And of course I also have this little second bag with a variety of other tools on hand.
Conclusion
Finally, you should know something else: A direct action bag, which you will carry as a combat medic during a mission with enemy contact, can save lives. You will take them on missions where life-threatening traumatic injuries are expected that require your immediate attention.
What is in this bag is a matter of life and death. So you always have to be flexible when choosing the tools and equipment for the next assignment.
In addition, clever Combat Medics have a second, smaller bag with them that complements the Direct Action Bag.
A useful addition to the outside of the Direct Action Bag is a carabiner to attach items that will save your ass if you need lightning quick access once the shit starts boiling.
The items you pack in your Direct Action bag don’t have to be fancy stuff – just standard equipment you can use to save the lives of those seriously injured.