The United States Army
12/30/2025 | News release | Distributed by Public on 12/31/2025 05:00
Washington Guard Trains Partner Agencies in Life-Saving Medicine
[Link] 1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption - Instructors from the Washington National Guard's Western Regional Counterdrug Training Center conduct an enhanced tactical medicine course with the Ridgefield Police Department in Ridgefield, Wash, Dec. 11, 2025. The Enhanced Tactical Medicine course is designed to teach Law Enforcement Officers and other first responders how to treat and manage trauma patients in a civilian tactical environment. (Photo Credit: Peter Chang) VIEW ORIGINAL [Link] 2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption - Instructors from the Washington National Guard's Western Regional Counterdrug Training Center conduct an enhanced tactical medicine course with the Ridgefield Police Department in Ridgefield, Wash, Dec. 11, 2025. The Enhanced Tactical Medicine course is designed to teach Law Enforcement Officers and other first responders how to treat and manage trauma patients in a civilian tactical environment. (Photo Credit: Peter Chang) VIEW ORIGINAL
RIDGEFIELD, Wash. - When seconds matter and help is still minutes away, the ability to stop severe bleeding or stabilize an injured person can mean the difference between life and death. To prepare for those moments, the Washington National Guard's Counterdrug Program, through the Western Regional Counterdrug Training Center, trained regional agencies in advanced tactical medicine during a two-day course in Ridgefield on Dec. 10-11.
"The importance of working with our law enforcement partners is equipping them with the tools and resources needed to provide life-saving treatment while they're out enforcing the law," said 1st Sgt. Jordan Peterson, a tactical medicine instructor with the Western Regional Counterdrug Training Center.
Through the WRCTC, Guard members provide counterdrug and support training to federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies, community organizations and military personnel to help disrupt drug trafficking and transnational criminal networks that threaten public safety.
As part of its curriculum, the enhanced tactical medicine course trains law enforcement officers and first responders to treat and manage trauma patients in civilian tactical environments. The 16-hour course combines classroom instruction with hands-on training, teaching students how to provide life-sustaining care in high-threat situations. The second day concludes with evaluated scenarios requiring participants to apply both tactical movement and emergency medical care under pressure.
"The tactical medicine training we provide equips law enforcement officers with life-saving skill sets for themselves and for citizens," Peterson said. "It makes our communities safer overall."
Instructors draw on domestic and overseas military experience to teach students to identify and treat the leading causes of preventable death across multiple phases of a tactical response. The Counterdrug Program has supported law enforcement since the 1980s, and the tactical medicine program has operated under WRCTC since 2017.
"We offer a wide range of programs, including hazmat support, tactical skills and a new counter-unmanned aircraft systems program," Peterson said. "Being able to pass on lessons learned through military training and combat experience to help our law enforcement partners is incredibly rewarding."
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