Step 1 of 6 · now
Don’t make more casualties
Mines, fire, wires, secondary devices. Use the path you already walked. If you cannot reach them safely, get help and talk them through a self-tourniquet.
1 h to careBuddydelayed
Life threat — do the NOW steps before anything else.
When this applies · do not
- Explosion, mine, rocket, or you do not know what is wrong and they are badly hurt
- More than one casualty — still treat life-threat bleeds first
Red flags
- Quiet casualty is worse than a screaming one — check them first
- After blast: lungs, ears, belly, and brain can be hurt with little to see
Do not
- Do not skip bleeding control to wrap a small burn.
- Do not bunch up over one casualty in a minefield.
Field aid tool — not a diagnosis, not a medic, not your unit’s official protocol. When a trained medic or doctor is there, follow them.