America's Army training pays off

[Slyde]

Source

While everybody knows that America's Army was designed as a recruitment tool for - well - America's Army, it now looks like the game has some other added benefits, too. Paxton Galvanek has never had any formal medical training - but he had spent hours playing video games, and had happily passed his medic certification in America's Army.

This cyber-certification helped Galvanek know just what to do when he witnessed a single-car SUV accident one night while he and his family were out for a drive. The SUV in the opposite lane flipped several times off of the highway, and Galvanek's family were first on the scene. While his wife called for an ambulance, Galvanek thought back to his in-game experiences, and rushed to help the people hurt in the accident.

After pulling the two injured passengers out of the wreckage, Galvanek quickly assessed their wounds and administered prioritised treatment to one of the more nasty injuries - a man's mutilated hand. Without being taught what to do, he acted exactly as he should have - in an accident that could have ended much less happily.

Galvanek gives full credit to the game for his quick-thinking:

"I have received no prior medical training and can honestly say that because of the training and presentations within America's Army, I was able to help and possibly save the injured men. As I look back on the events of that day, the training that I received in the America's Army video game keeps coming to mind.

"I remember vividly in section four of the game's medic training, during the field medic scenarios, I had to evaluate the situation and place priority on the more critically wounded. In the case of this accident, I evaluated the situation and placed priority on the driver of the car who had missing fingers. I then recalled that in section two of the medic training, I learned about controlled bleeding. I noticed that the wounded man had severe bleeding that he could not control. I used a towel as a dressing and asked the man to hold the towel on his wound and to raise his hand above his head to lessen the blood flow which allowed me to evaluate his other injuries which included a cut on his head."

Casey Wardynski, project director for America's Army comments:

"Paxton is a true hero. We are pleased to have played a role in providing the lifesaving training that he employed so successfully at the scene."

So. Maybe the Red Cross should consider spending some of their recruitment and education money into video games - or maybe they could sponsor an already-existing franchise, and make the task of the medic a little more true-to-life. The Royal Life Saving Society could create some sort of rescue game where you pull drowning people from the water and resuscitate them. Maybe the CFS could put some money into some kind of strategy game where you save houses from burning down? It's something to think about.

[Charger]

Good news, too bad I never got to play Online in America's Army.

And I only passed the first training parts, after that I quit.

[osiris.]

So he made the guy hold down a towel on his open wound?

Applying pressure to an injury is common sense...

[Connor]

It's also really stupid to pull 2 people out of a car accident, who knows what injuries they could of had?

[Urbanoutlaw]

That depends, there may have been a risk of fire. But yes, in most cases you leave the victim in place until the paramedics

arrive & deal w/ them. They're trained & equipped to minimize back/neck injury.

Still, it's nice to hear about a video game getting credit for a good thing every now & then. If this guy also plays WOW he

could save the world.

[chris82]

It's also really stupid to pull 2 people out of a car accident, who knows what injuries they could of had?

LOL WUT? Why would you leave people in a wrecked car, especially if they already called for an ambulance. If you got them out of the car it's better for everyone, especially the injured since they can get to a hospital faster.

As far as America's Army, the game absolutely sucks, but any vidja game helping someone save lives is amazing.

[rockstarrem]

Connor likes seeing people dead.

[Urbanoutlaw]

THAT'S SPAMMING!!!

I'm telling a mod....oh, never mind.

Like I said earlier, back/neck injuries are a major issue. You help someone out & next thing you know, there's a lawyer

saying you made it worse & owe them some insane amount of money. Insurance companies will jump on that trying to

get out of paying a claim, so unless the car's at risk of burning or they clearly need CPR, let the paramedics deal w/ it.

285th Rule of Acquisition - No good deed goes unpunished.