U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Anthony Dean, 379th Expeditionary Medical Group combat medical technician, prepares to intravenously administer saline during a training exercise Nov. 14, 2012. A combat medic’s responsibilities are vast and impact nearly all aspects in the hospital. Some of their duties include providing immunizations, assisting as an emergency medical technician, providing sutures for patients and conducting intravenous operations. Dean is deployed from Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., and is a native of Virginia Beach, Va. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Joel Mease/Released)

Photo Details / Download Hi-Res
U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Brittany Black, 379th Expeditionary Medical Group combat medical technician, draws lidocaine with epinephrine, which allows the technician to numb a patient’s skin during a training exercise Nov. 14, 2012. Combat medics constantly train to ensure their skills are sharp to meet the ever-changing role they serve in the deployed environment. Black is deployed from Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., and is a native of Charleston, S.C. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Joel Mease/Released)

Photo Details / Download Hi-Res
U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Brittany Black, left, 379th Expeditionary Medical Group combat medical technician, watches as Master Sgt. Beverly Lutz, 379th EMDG Emergency Room, Immunizations and Primary Care element chief, shows how to properly suture a patient Nov. 14, 2012. Going from a stateside assignment to the deployed environment requires combat medics to refocus on tasks that would normally be performed by a local hospital in the United States. Lutz explains its often like going from “0 to 60” for a combat medic, as knowing how to properly do these procedures isn’t a nicety rather a necessity. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Joel Mease/Released)

Photo Details / Download Hi-Res
U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Anthony Dean, 379th Expeditionary Medical Group combat medical technician, allows his arm to be sutured during a training exercise Nov. 14, 2012. Combat medics use one another as training aides to ensure they are at the top of their game and prepared for all real world situations. Combat medics are frequently forward deployed to forward operating bases where they are the only medical technician in the area. Dean is deployed from Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., and is a native of Virginia Beach, Va. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Joel Mease/Released)

Photo Details / Download Hi-Res
U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Brittany Black, left, 379th Expeditionary Medical Group combat medical technician, begins to suture an arm as Master Sgt. Beverly Lutz, 379th EMDG Emergency Room, Immunizations and Primary Care element chief, gives her instruction on how to perform the operation correctly during a training exercise Nov. 14, 2012. Combat medic training consists of two intensive courses totaling 18 weeks of formal training. Black is deployed from Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., and is a native of Charleston, S.C. Lutz is deployed from Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., and is a native of Jonesport, Maine. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Joel Mease/Released)

Photo Details / Download Hi-Res
U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Keith Libby, right, 379th Expeditionary Medical Group combat medical technician, reads the blood pressure of Staff Sgt. Danielle Diaz, 379th EMDG combat medical technician, during a training exercise Nov. 14, 2012. All Air Force combat medics are certified to be emergency medical technicians. The medics are required to know all operations inside an ambulance and how to properly take care of the patient while in the ambulance as EMTs. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Joel Mease/Released)

Photo Details / Download Hi-Res
U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Keith Libby, 379th Expeditionary Medical Group combat medical technician, gets a flash of blood as he readies the intravenously injected saline solution into his patient during a training exercise Nov. 14, 2012. When a needle is successfully inserted into a vein a “flash” of blood will enter the tubing. Libby is deployed from Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., and is a native of Apple Valley, Calif. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Joel Mease/Released)

Photo Details / Download Hi-Res
U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Keith Libby, right, 379th Expeditionary Medical Group combat medical technician, ensures his patient is doing well after intravenously infusing a saline bag into her arm, while Master Sgt. Beverly Lutz, center, 379th EMDG Emergency Room, Immunizations and Primary Care element chief, provides oversight during a training exercise Nov. 14, 2012. Combat medics always have a smile on their face ensuring their patients are at ease while under their care. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Joel Mease/Released)

Photo Details / Download Hi-Res

Photos: A day on the job with combat medics

Published Nov. 15, 2012