Module 1OrientationStill being built
Principles and Application of TCCC
TCCC is the battlefield first-aid system you will use as a Combat Lifesaver. It splits care into three phases, and what you do first depends on whether you are still under fire.
What to remember
- As a Combat Lifesaver you go after the top killers on the battlefield: massive bleeding and airway or breathing problems.CLS M01 Notes, PDF p.3
- TCCC has three goals: treat the casualty, prevent more casualties, and complete the mission.CLS M01 Slides, PDF p.13
- Care comes in three phases: Care Under Fire, Tactical Field Care, then Tactical Evacuation Care (TACEVAC).CLS M01 Slides, PDF p.15
- Under fire, never go after a casualty until hostile fire is suppressed. The only medical priority is a tourniquet, high and tight, for life-threatening bleeding.CLS M01 Slides, PDF p.16-17
- Once the threat is down, work the casualty with MARCH PAWS, and start with the casualty's own Joint First Aid Kit (JFAK).CLS M01 Slides, PDF p.19
- Stay alert in Tactical Field Care: the situation can slide back into Care Under Fire at any time.CLS M01 Slides, PDF p.19
- In evacuation, keep watching and treating until the casualty is handed to medical personnel, and write everything on the DD Form 1380.CLS M01 Notes, PDF p.7-8
Where people go wrong
- Rushing out to rescue a casualty while the enemy is still firing. Do not become a casualty yourself.CLS M01 Notes, PDF p.6
- Stopping under fire to treat bleeding that is not life-threatening. That waits for Tactical Field Care.CLS M01 Notes, PDF p.6
- Reaching for your own supplies before using the casualty's JFAK.CLS M01 Slides, PDF p.19
Check yourself
Questions on this module, each with the reason and the slide it came from.
Practice Module 1Official course material
On Deployed Medicine, the Defense Health Agency’s training site. Some items ask you to sign in.
Course objectives: Course plan T1: E1, T2: E2-8 (CLS Course Plan, PDF p.34)
This program includes clinical facts and medication doses drawn from official guidelines for test preparation only. Nothing on this site is medical advice or clinical guidance, and none of it is a substitute for clinical judgment. For any real-world care, follow current official protocols and your medical direction.