RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany -- The 86th Medical Group held its second iteration of Tactical Combat Casualty Care training for German SWAT members from different states throughout Germany, at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, July 28 - Aug. 1, 2025.
The five-day course followed the success of last year’s training, which was inspired by Rheinland-Pfalz Special Operations Police Force’s goal to strengthen SWAT medical skills and foster relationships between German police and the U.S. Air Force.
“This training shows we can work in every combat casualty care scenario together,” said a Rheinland-Pfalz Special Forces Police medic. “Whether it's the Air Force or Army, we get familiar with each other's terminology to achieve the same goal, saving lives.”
Over the week, 86th MDG personnel trained SWAT officers on advanced bleeding control methods and other lifesaving techniques in the classroom and applied the practical skills in real world training scenarios using cutting-edge mannequins.
“Our main goal is teaching a high-level grasp of U.S. military TCCC; bridging the language and terminology gap,” said Tech. Sgt Ryan Tegtmeier, 10th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Flight aeronautical evacuation technician. “Sharing our military’s medical knowledge has always been a way we establish deeper trust and relationship with other nations.”
The second-annual joint training further cemented the working relationship between German police and the U.S. Air Force. According to Tegtmeier, the continued collaboration also ensures that both sides keep growing their capabilities.
The conclusion of the course consisted of a rigorous final exercise in which SWAT members were required to apply all skills learned throughout the week. This exercise was designed to test not only the technical medical skills they had developed, but also their ability to work cohesively under pressure. The SWAT officers performed advanced trauma care in high-stress, realistic combat environments, replicating the conditions they might encounter in real-life operations.
One SWAT member explained how the training connected the forces and the whole point of the training was for the members to be better today than they were yesterday.