Legendary Katyusha. How nurse Mikhailova carried thousands of wounded out of battle

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Treatment of the wounded begins on the battlefield. As already indicated above, first medical aid is carried out by the company’s sanitary instructor, as well as in the form of self-help and mutual assistance.

The timing of first aid often decides the fate of the wounded. This primarily applies to those who have bleeding from the wound. That is why training military personnel in self-help and mutual aid is the most important task of the medical service.

During a battle, a medical instructor must, in disguise, approach the wounded man, protect him from enemy fire and immediately provide first aid to the wounded man. The medical equipment of the sanitary instructor, assembled in special bags, makes it possible to provide such assistance. For self-help and mutual assistance, all soldiers and officers are supplied with individual dressing bags and first-aid kits.

The following medical measures can be carried out on the battlefield:
1) temporary stop of external bleeding
2) applying a bandage to the wound and burn surface,
3) immobilization of the damaged area
4) injection of an analgesic solution using a syringe tube,
5) giving oral tablets of antibiotics,
6) fight against asphyxia.

The first step is to stop the bleeding. In case of severe external bleeding from wounds of the extremities, you should press the blood vessel above the wound site with your finger, then apply a tourniquet. Pressing a vessel with a finger is a method of temporarily stopping bleeding, which can be carried out most quickly in the form of self-help and mutual assistance. For a medical instructor, the opportunity to use this method on the battlefield is very rare. It is necessary that all military personnel be familiar with this method of stopping bleeding and be able to use it.

Stopping minor external bleeding from wounds of the extremities and bleeding from wounds in other areas of the body is possible by applying a pressure bandage. Temporary stopping of bleeding by forced flexion of the limb does not always achieve the goal and is impossible in case of bone fractures.

It should be borne in mind that when providing assistance to the wounded under enemy fire at night, even well-trained medical instructors will not be able to determine the nature of the bleeding by the type of damaged vessel (arterial, venous, capillary). The need to apply a tourniquet to a wounded person on the battlefield is determined by the intensity of bleeding.
At the same time, attention is paid to the degree to which clothes are wet with blood (to the touch at night), the rate of blood flow from the wound and the degree of bleeding of the wounded. The experience of the Great Patriotic War showed that when using such signs of bleeding, hemostatic tourniquets were applied almost exclusively for arterial and arteriovenous bleeding and only in a small number for venous bleeding.

Errors when applying a tourniquet can be of two types: folding it in the absence of sufficient indications and abandoning the tourniquet when there is an absolute need. The first mistake leads to unjustified ischemia of the limb and creates conditions ala the development of a wound infection. Refusal to apply a tourniquet during persistent arterial or arteriovenous bleeding is dangerous for the life of the wounded person.

The indications for applying a tourniquet and the need to continue keeping it on the limb are clarified at the battalion and regimental medical stations.

The applied tourniquet should be clearly visible; it should not be bandaged or covered with clothing. Be sure to note the time of application of the tourniquet in a note and place it under the tourniquet. The wounded who have a tourniquet applied must be removed from the battlefield first.

Application of an aseptic dressing prevents secondary microbial contamination of the wound. Depending on the size, the wound is covered either with an individual dressing bag or with sterile dressings available in the bags of the company's medical instructors. Before applying the bandage, the injury site is exposed. To do this, cover the wound area with cotton-gauze pads and bandage without violating their sterility, and cover the wound with it.

The protective bandage is also a hemostatic agent for venous and capillary bleeding. It can be pressing, but you cannot turn it into a tourniquet.

For chest wounds with open pneumothorax, it is necessary to apply a hermetic aseptic dressing.
To cover extensive burns, it is very convenient to use contour bandages, which are designed to be applied to a specific area of ​​the body (face, back, hand, etc.). They are prepared from sterile gauze in advance, during the non-fighting period. Contour bandages allow you to close an extensive burn in a short time and with minimal consumption of dressings.

In order to prevent wound infection, already on the battlefield, all wounded and burned people must be given antibiotics. For this purpose, there are tablets in the sanitary instructor's bag.

Transport immobilization should be carried out for the following injuries:
1) bone fractures,
2) joint injuries,
3) extensive damage to the soft tissues of the extremities,
4) injuries to the main blood vessels and nerves of the limbs,
5) thermal damage to the extremities.

Immobilization creates a resting position for the damaged area, prevents secondary tissue damage from bone fragments, prevents the spread of wound infection and prevents secondary bleeding.

In a combat situation, the possibilities for carrying out transport immobilization are quite limited. Of the standard means of immobilization, only headscarves are available in the bags of sanitary instructors. It is recommended to use the so-called improvised means: sticks, boards, plywood, a fighter’s weapon, etc. In cases where improvised means of immobilization are not at hand, it is not possible to look for them on the battlefield. However, this does not mean that you should abandon immobilization of damaged areas.

Creating rest for the upper limbs is possible by applying a scarf or bandaging the arm to the body (Fig. 1). Immobilization of the lower limb will be achieved by taping the injured leg to the healthy limb (Fig. 2). Immobilization of the pelvic bones and spine is carried out on a stretcher, on which a hard mat of boards or ladder tires is laid.

If the pelvic bones are damaged, the lower limbs of the wounded person must be bent at the joints, the knees must be tied with a bandage or scarf, and an overcoat roll must be placed under them. If the head is injured during transportation of a wounded person, it is not so much immobilization of the head that is required, but rather depreciation to prevent severe concussions of the brain. A person wounded in the head should be evacuated by placing an overcoat or any soft padding under his head.

Rice. 1. Immobilization of the upper limb (bandaging to the body)

Rice. 2. Immobilization of the lower limb without spines.

On the battlefield, the medical instructor concentrates the seriously wounded in the nearest places of shelter (“nests of the wounded”) and marks their location with clearly visible signs in order to facilitate the subsequent search for orderlies from the collection and evacuation unit of the wounded. In this work, the medical instructor is assisted by the lightly wounded.

• Actions done out of mercy may seem absurd and senseless at first glance.
• A person can show mercy even in the most difficult situations
• Actions related to helping orphans can be called merciful
• Showing mercy often requires sacrifices from a person, but these sacrifices are always justified in some way
• People who show mercy are worthy of respect

Arguments

L.N. Tolstoy "War and Peace". Natasha Rostova shows mercy - one of the most important human qualities. When everyone begins to leave Moscow, captured by the French, the girl orders that the carts be given to the wounded, and not carry her own things on them. Helping people is much more important for Natasha Rostova than material well-being. And it doesn’t matter to her at all that among the things that were to be taken away, the dowry is part of her future.

M. Sholokhov “The Fate of Man.” Andrei Sokolov, despite difficult life trials, did not lose the ability to show mercy. He lost his family and home, but could not help but pay attention to the fate of Vanyushka, a little boy whose parents died. Andrei Sokolov told the boy that he was his father and took him to his place. The ability to show mercy made the child happy. Yes, Andrei Sokolov did not forget his family and the horrors of war, but he did not leave Vanya in trouble. This means that his heart did not harden.

F.M. Dostoevsky "Crime and Punishment". The fate of Rodion Raskolnikov is difficult. He lives in a miserable, dark room and is malnourished. After the murder of the old pawnbroker, his whole life resembles suffering. Raskolnikov is still poor: he hides what he took from the apartment under a stone, rather than taking it for himself. However, the hero gives the latter to Marmeladov’s widow for the funeral; he cannot ignore the misfortune that has happened, although he himself has nothing to live on. Rodion Raskolnikov turns out to be capable of mercy, despite the murder and the terrible theory he created.

M.A. Bulgakov "The Master and Margarita". Margarita is ready to do anything to see her Master. She makes a deal with the devil, agrees to be the queen at Satan's terrible ball. But when Woland asks what she wants, Margarita only asks that they stop giving Frida the handkerchief with which she gagged her own child and buried him in the ground. Margarita wants to save a complete stranger from suffering, and this is where mercy is manifested. She no longer asks for a meeting with the Master, because she cannot help but take care of Frida and get past the grief of others.

N.D. Teleshov "Home". Little Semka, the son of settlers who died of typhus, most of all wants to return to his native village of Beloye. The boy escapes from the barracks and hits the road. On the way he meets an unfamiliar grandfather, they walk together. Grandfather also goes to his native land. On the way, Semka falls ill. Grandfather takes him to the city, to the hospital, although he knows that he cannot go there: it turns out that this is the third time he has escaped from hard labor. There the grandfather is caught, and then sent back to hard labor. Despite the danger to himself, grandfather shows mercy towards Semka - he cannot abandon a sick child in trouble. One’s own happiness becomes less significant for a person than the life of a child.

N.D. Teleshov “Elka Mitricha”. On Christmas Eve, Semyon Dmitrievich realized that everyone would have a holiday, except for eight orphans living in one of the barracks. Mitrich decided to please the guys at all costs. Although it was hard for him, he brought a Christmas tree and bought fifty dollars worth of candy, given by the resettlement official. Semyon Dmitrievich cut each of the guys a piece of sausage, although sausage was his favorite delicacy. Sympathy, compassion, mercy prompted Mitrich to do this act. And the result turned out to be truly wonderful: joy, laughter, and enthusiastic screams filled the previously gloomy room. The children were happy from the holiday he organized, and Mitrich from the fact that he did this good deed.

I. Bunin “Lapti”. Nefed could not help but fulfill the wish of the sick child, who kept asking for some red bast shoes. Despite the bad weather, he went on foot for bast shoes and magenta to Novoselki, located six miles from home. For Nefed, the desire to help the child was more important than ensuring his own safety. He turned out to be capable of self-sacrifice - in a sense, the highest degree of mercy. Nefed died. The men brought him home. A bottle of magenta and new bast shoes were found in Nefed’s bosom.

V. Rasputin “French Lessons”. For Lydia Mikhailovna, a French teacher, the desire to help her student turned out to be more important than preserving her own reputation. The woman knew that the child was malnourished, which is why she played for money. So she invited the boy to play for money with her. This is unacceptable for a teacher. When the director found out about everything, Lydia Mikhailovna was forced to leave for her homeland, to Kuban. But we understand that her act is not bad at all - it is a manifestation of mercy. The seemingly unacceptable behavior of the teacher actually conveyed kindness and care for the child.

The fragile girl pulled thousands of soldiers from the battlefield. Many fighters openly admitted that they could not have survived the horrors that befell her: they simply would not have had the courage. And Ekaterina Mikhailova always moved forward. the site recalls the exploits of a fragile Leningrad girl, who turned 90 today, December 22.

Katyusha came ashore

The heroic name of Ekaterina Mikhailova (Demina) was familiar to every Soviet person. 20 years after the end of the war, she was wanted throughout the country.

The paratroopers wrote letters to her in newspapers and on television, asking everyone who knew anything about the sergeant major of the Marine battalion, Ekaterina Mikhailova, to tell her where she was. It turned out that Katya got married, changed her last name and began working at a secret plant in Elektrostal. In 1964, she was finally found.

It was the soldiers who dedicated the famous song about “Katyusha” to her, although initially the authors put a different meaning into the poems. Stories about the heroic exploits of the girl circulated all over the front. Her merits are evidenced by the medals that Catherine received during the war years. Mikhailova - Hero of the Soviet Union, awarded the Order of Lenin, two Orders of the Red Banner, Orders of the Patriotic War of the 1st and 2nd degrees, medals "Gold Star", "For Courage", "For the Capture of Budapest", "For the Capture of Vienna", “For the liberation of Belgrade”, “For the victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War”.

Irreplaceable man

She was born on December 22, 1925 in Leningrad and lost her parents early. Her father, a Red Army soldier, died, and her mother died of typhoid fever. Therefore, the girl was brought up in an orphanage. By the beginning of the war she was less than 15 years old. She came under the first bombing at the very beginning of the war in the Smolensk region, when the train in which she was traveling to her older brother in the Brest Fortress was fired upon by German aircraft. The train was bombed, killing many civilians - mostly military wives and their children.

On December 22, 2015, Ekaterina Demina turned 90 years old. Photo: AiF-Petersburg/Maria Sokolova.

The girl walked to Smolensk for several days. Many did not reach their own people then; people were shot in the back by Germans passing by on motorcycles. 15-year-old Katya Mikhailova survived miraculously. In Smolensk, she found a recruiting office and confidently approached the military commissar. In order to get to the front, she added two years to her age.

Uncle, uncle, send me to the front,” recalls Ekaterina Illarionovna. “He came closer and said: “Girl, how old are you?” We don’t take children to the front!”

Katya was a fragile girl, she looked about ten years old. You can't really get along in an orphanage. In the end, Catherine ended up at the front by accident. On the outskirts of Smolensk I joined the retreating unit and asked to join them. It soon turned out that the girl was an irreplaceable person in the war. After all, she took nursing courses and knew how to provide first aid. In conditions of severe losses, these qualities were worth their weight in gold.

Under fire from the Nazis

A few days later, the legendary battle of Yelnya took place, where Katyusha showed her fearless character. The fighting became increasingly fierce. In the battle of Gzhatsk, Katya was seriously wounded. Doctors literally pieced together her leg, broken in three places. The girl was taken by car to the station, from where thousands of wounded soldiers were sent to hospitals in the Urals. In the Sverdlovsk hospital, Ekaterina’s condition was assessed as critical; every day she felt worse. The wound became infected and the temperature rose to 42.5 degrees. Katya was saved by the nurse Aunt Nyusha, who was coming out wounded.

A month later, Mikhailova already began to take her first steps. After rehabilitation in Baku, she again came to the military commissariat and demanded to be sent to the front. Paramedic Ekaterina Mikhailova was assigned to the military ambulance ship "Red Moscow", which transported soldiers wounded at Stalingrad to Central Asia.

The girl spent the entire year of 1942 on this ship, caring for wounded soldiers, often right under fire from German planes, which, while flying at low level, machine-gunned the ambulance ship. Ekaterina learned to shoot, knew military equipment well, so she was eager to get into a real fight. A battalion of volunteer sailors was just being formed in Baku. At first they didn’t want to take her: there’s no place for women in the navy! But something in the look of brave Katyusha attracted the commander. He was not mistaken; later she carried hundreds of wounded sailors, saving soldiers from imminent death.

In the heat of battle

Crossing the Kerch Strait became the main strategic task set by the Soviet command. Our troops suffered huge losses, but the attacks did not stop. Katya found herself in the thick of battle.

During the landing operation to capture Temryuk, Mikhailova was shell-shocked, but managed to help 17 wounded soldiers, whom she carried to the rear.

During the capture of Kerch, Katyusha saved 85 wounded soldiers and officers and carried 13 seriously wounded to the rear.

On August 22, 1944, when crossing the Dniester estuary as part of the landing force, Ekaterina Mikhailova was one of the first to reach the shore, provided first aid to seventeen seriously wounded sailors, suppressed the fire of a heavy machine gun, threw grenades at the bunker and destroyed over ten Nazis.

On December 4, 1944, the senior medical instructor of the combined company of the coastal escort detachment was wounded. During the operation to capture the Ilok fortress in Yugoslavia, Katya continued to provide medical assistance to the soldiers and, saving their lives, destroyed 5 fascists with a machine gun. Wounded, weakened from blood loss and pneumonia, Mikhailova was transported to the hospital in almost hopeless condition.

How well-known Catherine was is evidenced by the fact that her injury was announced on the radio, saying that donor blood was needed for the legendary Katyusha. Hundreds of soldiers came to the hospital to help the girl. Then she was nominated for the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. After recovery, the heroic Leningrad woman returned to duty and celebrated victory in Vienna.

Just think about it: when Katya accomplished her feats, she was not even 20 years old! After the war, she returned to Leningrad and entered the Mechnikov Institute. Then she left for Elektrostal, where she married front-line soldier Viktor Demin and changed her last name.

None of our new acquaintances even suspected that this fragile woman was a hero of the Great Patriotic War! In 1964, sailors began looking for their beloved nurse and sent out a cry throughout the Soviet Union. And they found it!

Ekaterina Illarionovna lives in Moscow and celebrates her 90th birthday today! the site joins in the numerous congratulations and wishes the legendary Katyusha health and many more years of life!

A kind heart distinguishes a real person from a beast in human form. Kindness is a constant concept, it either exists or it never existed, but it is never too late to sow the sprouts of goodness in your heart. In the history of warfare, the first thing that is ever reported is the death toll, so no one can remember the enormous amount of human compassion that flourished in times of violence. All these people said no to violence and chose love instead. These are strong people who should serve as examples to all of us.

An infantryman consoles his comrade. Korean War, p. 1950 - 1953

Petty Officer Ryan Lee and dog Waldo lie in an embrace on the hospital floor after a successful rescue. Afghan war, 2011

This German soldier from the east knew he shouldn't let this child over the Berlin Wall, but the boy was separated from his parents. The watchman lifts the barbed wire to let him through, while looking around in search of those who can see it

Dick Powell shares a meal with a puppy. Korean War, 1951

A medic bandages a child's wounded leg while his little brother stands next to him. World War II, 1944

Christians protect Muslims while they pray during the Egyptian revolution. Cairo, Egypt, 2011

A Russian special forces officer carries a liberated child from a school seized by terrorists. Beslan, 2004

A Bosnian soldier cares for a child he saved during the evacuation of Gorazde, 1995

A Ukrainian woman gives a drink to a Soviet soldier. World War II, 1941

A German soldier applies a bandage to a wounded Soviet woman. World War II, 1941

An Afghan soldier carries a crying child away from the site of a recent explosion. Afghan war, 2001 - 2014

A German soldier shares his rations with a Russian mother and her child. World War II, 1941

An Egyptian thanks soldiers after they refused to carry out an order that required them to shoot at civilians. Egyptian revolution, 2011

Journalist Raymond Walker runs across a bridge in France with a child, saving him from the Spanish Civil War, 1936

American soldiers of the 4th Armored Division push a captured vehicle containing two seriously wounded German soldiers. World War II, January 26, 1945

A woman protects a wounded protester by blocking the path of a military bulldozer. Egypt, 2013

Marine Frank Praytor feeds a kitten after its mother was killed by a mortar explosion. Korean War, 1953

US Navy Corpsman Richard Barnett holds a baby girl after she was separated from her family during a firefight. Iraq War, 2003

A French soldier helps a family fleeing the Spanish Civil War, 1938

A Jordanian soldier warms the hands of a Syrian child evacuated from the country. Syrian civil war, 2013

A priest comfortingly holds a wounded soldier after he comes under sniper fire aimed specifically at eliminating people in the area. Uprising in Venezuela, 1962

A Tunisian girl hands a soldier a rose after the army refused to shoot protesters and said it would "defend the revolution." Tunisian revolution, 2011

A football match between British and German soldiers on the Western Front as they left their trenches. First World War, 24 December 1914

A boy leads a blind old man across the street during military operations. Korean War, since 1951

An American soldier holds the hand of an Afghan girl. Afghan war, 2010

A soldier shares food and water with children in Saipan, July 1944.

German soldiers play with a kitten. World War II, 1943

Three German soldiers help a Frenchman stuck in the mud of the fields near Verdun. First World War, p. 1916

Protesters carry an injured police officer to safety. Türkiye, 2013

American soldiers treat a wounded dog. World War II, 1944

A soldier talks to a little girl, 2011

18-year-old Keshia Thomas defends a Nazi from an angry mob, 1996

The soldier made friends with the puppy. Iraq War, 2003 - 2011

American soldiers invited Dutch children to dance. World War II, 1944 - 1945

A native of Papua New Guinea, who were nicknamed the "Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels", accompanies a wounded Australian soldier. World War II, 1942

A Soviet soldier shares his cigarettes with German prisoners of war. World War II, July, 1943

A brave priest organizes a human shield between demonstrators and police. Ukrainian revolution, 2013

Two American soldiers console a crying girl with a puppy. World War II, 1944

A protester hugs Officer Joselito Sevilla after he yells at him. Manila, Philippines, 2013

A soldier runs from the battlefield with two small Vietnamese children in his arms. Vietnam War, 1955-1975

I swear today that I will provide all necessary assistance to every wounded and sick person,
regardless of whether he is seriously or lightly wounded, or is an enemy,
because every person is a Personality

I vow to heal the bodies and souls of the wounded and sick
Maintain secrecy, trust and respect,
give all your knowledge, initiative
and love for humanity

I swear to always be “My Brother’s Guardian” - be it in battle,
during the evacuation of the wounded and in the hospital ward

I swear that the words will be etched in my heart forever
commandments of self-sacrifice:
"NEVER LEAVE A WOUNDED MAN ON THE BATTLEFIELD!"
Oath of military medics of the Israel Defense Forces

All rights belong to Alexander Shulman (c) 2003-2009
© 2007 by Alexander Shulman. All rights reserved
Use of the material without the written permission of the author is prohibited.
Any violations are punishable by copyright law in force in Israel.

Alexander Shulman
"My Brother's Guardian": IDF Military Medical Service

In Israel, unlike other countries, there are no permanent military hospitals. The IDF military medical service is fully integrated with the country's healthcare system, and its purpose is to provide first aid to the wounded on the battlefield and in military medical units, followed by the fastest possible evacuation by air and road to hospitals in the interior of the country.

The interaction between military and civilian medical services is honed through regular exercises and training. The Israeli model of organizing military medical service has shown its high efficiency during numerous wars and is an example for the armies of many countries around the world.

Emblem of the IDF medical forces
“And the Lord said to Moses: “Make a brass serpent and set it up on a pillar in the middle of the camp.
Raise it up so that everyone can see it, and when people look at it,
they will immediately receive healing" (Num. 21: 1-9).

How to become a military medic
The IDF military medical service was created in 1948 based on the medical units of the Haganah. The first commander of the Medical Corps was Colonel Chaim Shiba, who served as a military doctor in the British army during World War II and then headed the medical service of the Haganah.

Already at that time, the main structures of the Medical Corps were formed: headquarters, departments in military districts, medical units in military units and formations, the Military Institute of Medical Research and a training center for medical troops were opened.

Today, there are three main categories of military personnel in the medical forces: khoshim (medical instructors), paramedics (military paramedics) and military doctors.
Khoshim are conscript soldiers. Hospital training includes ATLS (Advanced Trauma Life Support) and PHTLS (PreHospital Trauma Life Support) courses. Khoshim operate in platoon combat formations and, in addition to the usual soldier equipment, they are equipped with first aid equipment and collapsible stretchers. In companies and battalions there are senior hosham (hopel and hoged, respectively), who are responsible for the hosham in their units

Paramedics are long-term warrant officers or reservists who provide medical care in companies, evacuation centers and field hospitals. They are trained at the Magen David Adom (Red Shield of David - ambulance service) courses, as well as at the medical training center. Paramedic training includes intensive courses in EMS (Emergency medical services), ATLS and PHTLS.

They become military doctors after 7 years of study at university medical faculties. As a rule, after graduating from a university, future military doctors will have to undergo Ashlama Helit - a 16-week military medical training course, where they study EMS, ATLS, PHTLS, CTLS (combat trauma life support) and the organization of military medical service. Military doctors of combat units also undergo an intensive training course for infantry officers. Military doctors of special forces and reconnaissance and sabotage units are trained as fighters in such units.
Military doctors begin their military service as a battalion doctor.

Graduates of medical universities sign up for a 5-year term of service in the army, after which the contract with the army can be extended or the military medic goes into the reserve. Every year, reservist doctors are drafted into the army for 1 month. In addition, in the event of the outbreak of hostilities, reservist doctors can be urgently mobilized to the military units to which they are assigned.

How is the IDF military medical service organized?
The Israeli army has accumulated vast experience in organizing military medical services during combat operations. Depending on the severity of the injury, medical care is provided with the subsequent evacuation of the wounded to rear hospitals or to medical units that have greater capabilities to provide care to the wounded.

In an infantry battalion, under the command of a battalion doctor, there is a medical platoon consisting of three departments: search and evacuation of the wounded, identification of the dead - together with the military rabbinate, and a battalion station for receiving the wounded (abbreviated in Hebrew - TAAGAD). TAAGAD personnel provide emergency assistance, filter the wounded according to the severity of the injury and prepare them for evacuation.

Tank-bulence interior

The medical platoon of the infantry battalion includes Zeev armored vehicles, a Hummer vehicle, and 3 armored personnel carriers equipped for transporting the wounded for the evacuation of the wounded and transportation of personnel and equipment. Tank battalions also use tank-bulences equipped at Merkava tank bases to transport the wounded.
On the march, the control of the medical platoon convoy is carried out by the evacuation officer; upon arrival at the site, the senior hovesh of the battalion is responsible for the deployment of the battalion medical post. When receiving the wounded, control of the medical platoon passes to the battalion doctor.

TAAGAD usually deploys a few hundred meters from the front line. Often the wounded are received under fire. The wounded arrive either on foot or are transported by vehicle or on stretchers by platoon leaders.

The battalion doctor is in charge of receiving the wounded. Khovesh works with him and registers the wounded who have arrived. Since it is necessary to deliver the wounded with personal weapons, it is also the responsibility of the hovesh to unload the weapon. The military doctor determines the type and severity of the injury and gives instructions for the provision of medical care.

It is important to note that all paramedics and hoschim located in TAAGAD do not have the right to contact a doctor directly, so as not to distract him from performing his duties. They report all information about the condition of the wounded to the battalion commander, who then reports to the doctor.
Usually, during combat operations, another military doctor is assigned to the battalion TAAGAD.

After first aid is provided in the battalion TAAGAD, the wounded, depending on the complexity of the wound, are evacuated as quickly as possible to regimental, brigade or division evacuation points and from there to hospitals. However, evacuation to hospitals can also be carried out directly from the battalion TAAGAD using armored vehicles or helicopters.

During the 2006 operation in Lebanon, Air Force UH-60 Black Hawk (Janshuf) helicopters flew about 120 evacuation missions, about half of them into enemy territory, where the evacuation took place under enemy fire. During these flights, about 360 victims were evacuated. Evacuation of the wounded by air from the battlefield to the hospital lasted on average about 3.5 hours. On average, 4.5 soldiers were evacuated per flight. It should be noted that not a single wounded soldier died during the air evacuation.

Major Tomer Bouadana, wounded in Lebanon, was taken by helicopter to a hospital in Haifa. 2006

A medical company is deployed at the regiment (brigade) level. The divisions have a medical battalion, on the basis of which a field hospital can be deployed, the equipment of which allows for complex surgical operations. The medical battalion has a surgical company in which complex operations are performed by experienced surgeons.
However, recently there has been a replacement of surgical companies with intensive care companies. Instead of a surgical company, emergency surgical teams are created consisting of a surgeon and an anesthesiologist, equipped with the necessary equipment. Using a special vehicle, such a team can be immediately sent to the place where there is a need to save the life of a wounded soldier.

The medical battalion also has a psychological service, including a psychological officer and social workers. Their purpose is to relieve the “combat reactive state” in the wounded and in soldiers who received mental trauma during the battle. Such assistance, provided in a timely manner, allows injured soldiers to be restored to battle readiness.

It should be noted that the structure of the IDF military medical service responds very flexibly to the changing conditions of modern warfare. Thus, in recent years, the command of the Medical Corps has changed the level of use of military doctors. If in the recent past the presence of military doctors was limited to the level of battalion TAAGAD, today it is becoming common to second military doctors directly to combat units during combat operations. A military doctor goes into battle with the soldiers. In this case, the chances of saving the wounded on the battlefield significantly increase, but the losses of military doctors also increase.

About IDF military doctors

Military doctor reserve captain Igor Rotshtein was urgently mobilized on July 24, 2006. He was assigned to the 13th battalion of the Givati ​​Infantry Brigade, with which he entered Lebanon. Captain I. Rotshtein was an experienced military doctor - for 5 years he served as a battalion doctor in the Southern Military District and took part in hostilities. After demobilization in 2004, he worked as a surgeon at the Poriya hospital in Tiberias.

In memory of military doctor Captain Igor Rotshtein

On the night of August 3-4, 2006, near the village of Markabe in Southern Lebanon, Captain I. Rotshtein died in battle, saving the life of a wounded soldier: a shell that exploded in front wounded the soldier. Captain I. Rotshtein hurried to the place of injury... and the next shell covered them both.
For his feat of self-sacrifice, Captain I. Rotshtein was posthumously awarded the Order of Distinction.

A doctor from Netanya, reserve captain Alexey Kalganov was twice awarded insignia for his heroism in saving the lives of wounded soldiers. The IDF press service said: “He demonstrated dedication in carrying out a combat mission, showed personal example and professionalism in the battles of the village of Aita al-Shaab on August 5, 2006 and in the battles of Jbeil Abu Twil on August 13, 2006. Kalganov showed dedication and courage and composure."

Military doctor captain Alexey Kalganov

Captain A. Kalganov received his first award for saving the life of a soldier who was seriously wounded in Beit Lehem, during Operation Protective Wall, in the spring of 2002. . He told the Haaretz newspaper:
“We covered our special forces who started a battle with militants in a Palestinian refugee camp. Four soldiers were seriously injured. One was hit in the mouth by a bullet. I looked - all the airways were torn apart. I thought he had died, but the pulse was still palpable. He quickly inserted a tube into his throat, pumped out the blood from his lungs, and we evacuated him along with the other wounded. In truth, I had no doubt that he was not a survivor, and he not only survived, but almost completely recovered, unlike the other soldiers whom we evacuated with him that day. Everything was decided in a matter of seconds. He was just lucky that not just a doctor, but a surgeon was nearby.”

Military doctor Captain Kalganov was wounded on the last day of the Lebanese War, August 13. “Hezbollah fighters fired laser-guided anti-tank missiles at our soldiers. One of them hit a house where part of the unit was located: one was killed, two were seriously wounded. Kalganov ran there. One soldier was wounded in the head - he behaved very restlessly, the second did not show signs of life - a large fragment hit him right in the chest. The doctor rushed to him, wanted to put in drains to revive him, and at that moment another rocket hit the shelter. It was a direct hit.

The officer who helped the doctor save the seriously wounded man was killed on the spot. And the soldier who stood next to him also died. If the shell had been high-explosive, no one would have survived. But the militants fired an anti-tank missile: it penetrates the armor of the tank and is not intended to destroy the enemy with fragments. However, at that moment the doctor could not know this. He was simply blinded by the flash of the explosion, and he realized that he had died: after all, if a rocket hits you, you cannot remain alive.

But then he suddenly came to his senses and immediately began to feel his arms and legs, trying to understand what was torn off and what was intact. There was no pain. In a state of concussion, you don't feel anything. When the doctor realized that the wound was not serious, but a shrapnel wound, he tried to get to his feet. There were dead and wounded all around. Having given the order to quickly bandage the wounded and leave, the doctor tried to feel the pulse of the guy he was helping before the rocket fell: he was already dead.”

During the operation in Lebanon, military doctor Captain Marina Kaminskaya was the head of the medical service of the 52nd battalion of the 401st armored brigade. As part of her battalion, she entered Lebanon on the first day of the war and took part in the battles for the settlements of Qanatra, Maroun al-Rash and the city of Bint Jubail.

Military doctor captain Marina Kaminskaya.

Captain Kaminskaya fought on a tank tank. A tank-bulence is a regular Merkava tank, converted into a mobile medical unit and equipped with additional weapons and medical equipment. During the battle, the tank-bulence is used as an “ambulance” to provide first aid and evacuate the wounded.

In her tank tank, Captain Kaminskaya was in the thick of the fighting on July 24, 2006 for the city of Bint Jbeil, the “capital” of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
Tankers of the 52nd battalion took part in the battle for Bint Jbeil. To evacuate wounded tankers and infantrymen from the battlefield, the command sent a tank tank of Captain Kaminskaya. The tank tank was covered by two regular tanks. One of the covering tanks directly accompanied the tank-bulence, and the second controlled the situation on the nearest approaches.

At the height of the battle, wounded soldiers from the Golani infantry brigade began to arrive at the tank tank. Among them was the commander of the elite special forces battalion “Egoz”, Lieutenant Colonel Ariel Gino, who was seriously wounded when an enemy sniper’s bullet hit him in the face. Captain Kaminskaya, right on the battlefield, provided him with first aid, which saved his life and took the wounded on her tank tank to the helipad, from where the wounded were taken by helicopter to a hospital in Haifa.

During this battle, the tank covering the tank tank of Captain M. Kaminskaya was shot down. Of the 4 crew members of the knocked out tank, one was killed - platoon commander Lieutenant Lotan Slavin, two tankers were slightly wounded.
Moving to help the crew of a damaged tank, the tank of the commander of the 52nd tank battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Guy Kabili, was blown up by a landmine containing approximately 300 kg of explosives. Of the 7 people in the tank - crew members and battalion headquarters officers, one was killed - gunner Sergeant Kobi Smilga, the rest were injured.
All the wounded, despite enemy shelling, were provided with medical care and were successfully evacuated.

After the evacuation of the wounded, captain Marina Kaminskaya returned to the battle formations of her battalion. In total, during the fighting, military doctor Captain Marina Kaminskaya provided assistance to more than 25 wounded soldiers.
For her feat, Captain M. Kaminskaya was awarded the Insignia of the Commander of Armored Forces.

During Operation Cast Lead in January 2009. Military doctor Major Pavel Kataev received an award for courage. Major P. Kataev is a career military man, has served as a military doctor since 1996, and has taken part in many combat operations. Currently, Major P. Kataev serves as the head physician of the District Military Medical Center in Jerusalem.
During Operation Cast Lead, Major P. Kataev was seconded as a second doctor to the 13th battalion of the Golani brigade.

Military doctor Major Pavel Kataev

Major P. Kataev says in an interview with Channel Seven:
“That night we were in a building next to the house that was mistakenly hit by two of our tank shells. Naturally, as soon as the radio reported that there were many casualties, we rushed there and arrived before the dust from the explosion had settled. Picture was like this: all the commanders were wounded, there was no one to command the soldiers, the soldiers were shooting in all directions from all the windows, and miraculously did not hit us. The hardest thing in the first minutes was simultaneously commanding the soldiers and providing medical assistance. Many soldiers were lying, there was a lot of blood, groans, screams, severed limbs, shooting. The first thing I did was to order a ceasefire, carefully lower all the wounded down and take positions in cover, guarding the building and not shooting without reason. Among the wounded were the brigade commander “Golani” and the commander of the 13th battalion brigade to which I was assigned.

All this happened in perhaps no more than a minute, but it seemed like an eternity.

Then the deputy battalion commander arrived and took command. He organized the evacuation of the wounded, bringing in tanks and armored personnel carriers and several vehicles.

There were more than 20 casualties, of which three were killed, whom we could no longer help, 8 were seriously wounded, among them Ben Spitzer, who had both his arms torn off, and several other soldiers and officers. We immediately began performing surgical and resuscitation procedures to save their lives. It was the hardest thing for Beni: when they finished his resuscitation, it turned out that there were no armored personnel carriers and tanks left to evacuate the rest of the wounded, and it was decided to take a jeep that was standing nearby and evacuate Beni with it. But the jeep got stuck in the mud on the road, there were just four of us, and we ran on foot with a stretcher, navigating the terrain, taking the shortest route to the border.

When we crossed the border and handed over the last wounded man - Beni, the first thing I did was contact the district doctor of the Southern District, report to him about the condition of the wounded, specifying which specialists - for example, microsurgeons, etc. - It is necessary to urgently prepare hospitals for receiving the wounded, since every minute can be decisive.

As soon as I was allowed to go home after the operation, I first went to the hospital, went into the intensive care unit to see Beni, saw that his arms had been sewn on (unfortunately, only one of them took root, the second had to be amputated), lifted the sheet and saw that my legs were in place, and breathed a sigh of relief.”