text: Army Health System Overview
  NONMEDICAL PERSONNEL
  1-36. Nonmedical personnel performing first aid procedures assist the combat medics in their duties. First
  aid is administered by an individual (self-aid or buddy aid) and enhanced first aid is provided by the combat
  lifesavers. A combat lifesaver is a nonmedical Soldier of a unit trained to provide enhanced first aid as
  a secondary mission. (Currently the proponent is FM 4-02 but will be moved to ATP 4-02.3 when revised).
  Self-Aid and Buddy Aid
  1-37. Each individual Soldier is trained in a variety of specific first aid procedures. These procedures include
  aid for chemical casualties with particular emphasis on lifesaving tasks. This training enables the Soldier or
  a buddy to apply first aid to alleviate potential life-threatening situations. Each Soldier is issued an individual
  first aid kit to accomplish first aid tasks. First aid (self-aid/buddy aid) refers to urgent and immediate
  lifesaving and other measures which can be performed for casualties (or performed by the victim
  themselves) by nonmedical personnel when medical personnel are not immediately available.
  Combat Lifesaver
  1-38. The combat lifesaver is a nonmedical Soldier selected by the unit commander for additional training
  beyond basic first aid procedures. A minimum of one individual per squad, crew, team, or equivalent-sized
  unit should be trained. The primary duty of this individual does not change. The additional duty of the
  combat lifesavers is to provide enhanced first aid for injuries, based on their training, before the combat
  medic arrives. Combat lifesaver training is normally provided by medical personnel during direct support of
  the unit. The training program is managed by the senior medical person designated by the commander.
  Members of Special Forces operational detachment teams receive first aid training at the combat lifesaver
  level.
  ROLE 1
  1-39. The first medical care a Soldier receives is provided at Role 1 (also referred to as unit-level medical
  care). This role of care includes:
  * Immediate lifesaving measures.
  * Disease and nonbattle injury (DNBI) prevention.
  * Combat and operational stress preventive measures.
  * Patient location and acquisition (collection).
  * Medical evacuation from supported units (POI or wounding, company aid posts, or
  casualty/patient collection points) to supporting MTFs.
  * Treatment provided by designated combat medics or treatment squads. (Major emphasis is placed
  on those measures necessary for the patients to return to duty or to stabilize them and allow for
  their evacuation to the next role of care. Return to duty refers to a patient disposition which,
  after medical evaluation and treatment when necessary, return Soldiers for duty in their
  unit. These measures include maintaining the airway, stopping bleeding, preventing shock,
  protecting wounds, immobilizing fractures, and other emergency measures, as indicated).
  1-40. Role 1 medical treatment is provided by the combat medic or flight paramedic during air evacuation
  or by the physician, the physician assistant, or the health care specialist in the battalion aid station/Role 1
  MTF. Emergency medical treatment refers to the immediate application of medical procedures to the
  wounded, injured, or sick by specially trained medical personnel. In Army special operations forces,
  Role 1 treatment is provided by special operations combat medics, Special Forces medical sergeants, or
  physicians and physician assistants at forward operating bases, Special Forces operating bases, or in joint
  special operations task forces. Role 1 includes:
  * Tactical combat casualty care (immediate far forward care) consists of those lifesaving steps that
  do not require the knowledge and skills of a physician. The combat medic is the first individual
  in the medical chain that makes medically substantiated decisions based on medical military
  occupational specialty-specific training.