How US troops in Germany are preparing Ukrainians to help each other on the battlefield.

US troops have been providing critical medical instruction and combat casualty care to Ukrainians at Grafenwoehr Training Area in Germany for almost a year. The training is not as high profile as that on tanks, Patriot missile systems, or combined arms tactics, but it has an even more immediate impact on the battlefield. Sgt. Alexis Ballard and Capt. Christina Whitler were among the medics on-site last May as Ukrainians were training on M777 Howitzers. They spoke with a Ukrainian leader on the ground to see what else they might need, and the answer was clear: more medical training. In many cases, the soldiers making up Ukraine's military are everyday citizens with no military or medical background. Combat medical training couldn't be more crucial; as of November last year, roughly 100,000 Ukrainian troops were believed to have been killed or wounded since Russia's invasion began in February 2022. The US Army Europe and Africa is providing training to the Armed Forces of Ukraine to better defend themselves against the Russian onslaught and avert potential tragedy by saving lives. The training is similar in many ways to what US soldiers get, but unlike those US troops, the Ukrainians had come straight from a battlefield and were preparing to go back. The training includes simulations on mannequins, practicing responding to mass casualty events, and addressing burns and fractures, but it is the human-to-human moments that will stick with the Americans long after the mission is over. Ukrainian troops brought up real-world examples that they'd experienced in the war raging just miles away, and in some cases they asked what they could have done to save a fellow soldier. Whitler also recalled moments talking to Ukrainian troops who were exhibiting signs of traumatic brain injuries due to Russian artillery impact. Whitler reassured them that what they were experiencing was unfortunately, normal. The most important details in this text are that despite the differences in their backgrounds and current situations, the language barriers and the stress of knowing they'd soon be back on the battlefield, the Americans and Ukrainians were still able to find those quintessential "soldier" moments that cross cultural barriers. These included trading uniform patches, sharing cigars during a smoke break, and turning training into competitions. Ballard also recalled training the troops on how to use a nasopharyngeal airway, which is a thin tube inserted through a patient's nose to open up their airway. Whitler and Ballard also recalled a graduation ceremony for their Ukrainian partners to acknowledge all they'd learned and done, which was "very emotional" as they were fighting for their lives and their home.