PEO STRI mannequins increase trauma training realism

The U.S. Army Program Executive Officer for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation (PEO STRI) brought its Tactical Combat Casualty Care Exportable (TC3X) medical training mannequins to Fort Benning, Georgia to increase the realism of medical trauma training that can ultimately save lives and limbs.

The mannequin can scream, breathe, bleed and move, and features arteries, lungs and can store fake blood for when it bleeds to help recreate the stress medics may face in the field. It also features a two-way radio built into the mannequin’s head so an instructor that is up to 50 yards away can talk to the student medic, as if he was the patient, saying things like “my chest hurts” or “I can’t breathe.” In turn, the instructor can hear how the student responds to the patient and sensors on the mannequin provide data to the instructor or observer for feedback on the soldier’s performance.

“The realism of it creates that white-knuckle sensation and adrenalin for the soldier,” says John Matthews, an assistant program manager for PEO STRI, so if faced with this in real life, the soldier doesn’t get overwhelmed.

Fort Benning is set to have 11 systems in total, says Matthews. PEO STRI has the TC3X at five other locations, and plans to place 77 TC3X systems at 41 locations within the Army.