SKED: HOW TO EVACUATE YOUR WOUNDED SOLDIERS.....
The SKED is a revolutionary and combat-proven means to evacuate wounded Soldiers under enemy fire, that is lightweight and easy to use. Most importantly, it allows one man to evacuate a wounded Soldier instead of 2-4 with stretchers, preserving shooters for combat power. It rapidly adapts to hovering helicopter extractions so landing zones need not have to be secured from the enemy or cut out from the jungle/woods. As a SKED is brought to the rear, its filled up with vital supplies: ammunition, AT4/SMAW-D rockets, Dragon/Javelin/Stinger ATGMs, food (MREs), water and brought forward to the men on the front lines. The point is to start using mechanical advantage TO OUR ADVANTAGE in U.S. ground forces. View its legendary, creator Mr. Bud Calkin, U.S. Army Medic demonstrate how to use the full-sized SKEDCO system in the pictures/text below:
The U.S. Army's Center for Lessons Learned (CALL) monograph, High-Altitude Operations by George J. Mordica II, Senior Analyst, CALL states:
OBSERVATION: Difficulty in moving supplies over mountainous terrain at high altitudes required aerial resupply, with the requirement of delivering to the point of work locations.
DISCUSSION: Units should treat every resupply like it is a casualty evacuation (CASEVAC). The planning provides the aircraft crew more information on how to identify the landing zone (LZ) and the surrounding tactical situation. This requires additional staff work to deploy the logistics to the work area (like rations to the platoon, mortar rounds to the mortars), but the payoff is reduced expenditure of energy for those on the ground. Positioning a support platoon Soldier from the supported unit on the helicopter allows the unit to have an opinion on where to drop a load over an unmarked LZ.
Units using a GATOR were able to conduct resupply and CASEVAC without having to man pack casualties and supplies. The GATOR was a workhorse on saving Soldiers load in all areas. During CASEVAC, the GATOR could carry three casualties and pull a third on a SKIDKO litter.
TTP:
Treat every resupply as a CASEVAC.
Have a Soldier from the supported unit on the resupply aircraft. The GATOR, or similar small all-terrain vehicle (ATV), is indispensable."
The SKED pack can be strapped to the side of military rucksacks like the ALICE, FPLIF and the MOLLE systems, or carried on its own like a rucksack.
PLACE CASUALTY ON SKEDCO
Stabilize the patient's wounds and immobilize the neck/spine with a spineboard, Ambu Perfit C-collar, Oregon Spine Splint before placing in SKED.
Technique A: roll over patient into SKED
Technique B: slide patient into SKED
SECURE CASUALTY IN SKED
PREPARING A SKED FOR HELICOPTER HOVERING, VERTICAL FACE RAPPELLING EXTRACTION
IMPORTANT!
You must attach a tag line to the foot end of SKED to prevent it from spinning while being winched up to the hovering helicopter:
See RANGERS IN ACTION evacuating casualties by SKED into hovering UH-60L Blackhawk helicopters!
PREPARING A SKED FOR VERTICAL EXTRACTION FROM MOUNTAIN/BUILDING
ATTACHING EXTRA CARRY HANDLES FOR GROUND MOVEMENT
PREPARING A TOW LINE FOR ONE-MAN SLIDING MEDEVAC
Towing Soldier attaches to line to his belt with quick-release so both hands/arms are free to fire weapons during MEDEVAC
*OPTIONAL QUICK-RELEASE BUCKLE SECURING STRAPS
RETURNING SKED TO ITS PACK
IMPROVED SKEDCO ROLL-UP: ATTACH ROLL-UP STRAP TO CENTER GROMMET
One way to sked some weight is to roll up the SKEDCO and secure tight with a strap and carry it without its carry case/ruucksack (full-size SKED) or bag (half-SKED). However, the current strap is loose, can get lost and doesn't compress the rolled SKED into a tight as possible package. The half-SKED can be carried under the top flap of the ALICE rucksack or inside the M3A Desmond Doss Combat LifeSaver Assault Pack. The photo above shows U.S. Army Rangers carrying full-size SKEDs in rolled-up condition without carry bags to save weight and speed deployment.
Securing the existing roll-up strap to SKEDCOs
Instead of having the roll-up strap slide around loose around the outside of the rolled up SKEDCO, run the strap through the center grommet of the foot end, then run the end through the bottom of the buckle so its connected to the SKEDCO.
halfskedrollupstrap1.jpg
Now, after you roll up the SKEDCO, when you run the free end of the strap around the roll and tighten it, the buckle end will pull the foot end of the SKEDCO towards you so you can cinch it down and compress the roll.
Anchoring the roll-up strap to the center grommet of the foot end of the full-length SKEDCO insures it doesn't get lost as an otherwise loose item, while still being detachable to use as a tourniquet if the situation demands it.
ORDERING YOUR SKEDs:
http://www.skedco.com
Related SKEDCO web pages:
Combat LifeSavers: everything about them
M3A Corporal Desmond Doss Combat LifeSaver Assault Pack
General William O. Darby UT 2000 ATACS
Major Andrew Kosmowski "Kosmo" MOUT lifeline
Airborne Medic's SKEDPAK: how to parachute jump ready-to-fight and render first aid
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