At the Night Ops First Aid station your patrol will walk up to a scenario — an “injured” casualty, a verbal problem to solve, or a combination of both — and be scored on what you do, not just what you know. The scenarios stay within what a Trailman should already know from the Trailman’s Handbook (AHG patrols: get a copy and review the equivalent material). What separates scoring patrols from the rest is organization under pressure. Here is how to drill for it at a troop meeting before event night.
The sequence scorers look for
- Scene safety first. Say it out loud: “Is the scene safe?” A patrol that rushes in and gets a second “casualty” scores zero regardless of bandaging skill.
- One leader, one talker. Assign a patrol first aider before the event. Everyone else supports: fetch gear, keep time, write down findings.
- Treat what kills first. Severe bleeding, airway, breathing, shock — in that order — before you splint that obvious broken arm.
- Say your reasoning. Scorers cannot award points for silent correct actions. Narrate: “Pulse is fast and weak, skin is pale and clammy — treating for shock.”
Four drills to run at a troop meeting
1. The 60-second assessment
One patrol member plays casualty with a written card of hidden symptoms. The patrol has one minute to find every problem on the card. Repeat weekly with different cards; the goal is a complete check that becomes automatic.
2. Improvised splint relay
No commercial splints allowed at Night Ops unless your patrol supply list says so — practice with sticks, trekking poles, rolled blankets, and triangular bandages. Score on immobilizing the joint above AND below the injury.
3. Hypothermia staging
A November Alabama night gives you real conditions. Drill mild-vs-severe recognition and the right response order: remove from wet/wind, insulate from ground, dry layers, warm sweet drinks if fully alert. Have the casualty act each stage so scouts learn the difference between shivering-and-grumpy and confused-and-lethargic.
4. Call it in
Practice delivering a 20-second report as if calling 911 or the Command Tent: location, number injured, what happened, what you are doing. Every patrol member should be able to do it cold.
What catches patrols off guard
Variations at past events have included actor casualties, dummies with narrator clues, and picking one patrol member on the spot to become the patient while everyone else works the problem. The last one is why every member needs the basics, not just your designated medic — spread the experience around during practice.