Special Operations.Com

Special Forces medic saves life of wounded Paraguayan soldier

by Maj. Tom McCollum

Army Public Affairs

FORT BRAGG, N.C. (Army News Service, Oct. 22, 1997) -- The skills and tenacity of a 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) medic recently saved the life of a Paraguayan soldier who was shot in the head and given-up for dead.

Staff Sgt. Daniel Carlson, who has been a Special Forces medic for one year, is a member of Operational Detachment Alpha 793. An ODA is commonly referred to as an "A-Team." Carlson's team is stationed in Panama with Company C, 3rd Battalion, 7th SFG (A). They were training with the Paraguayan Army in a Joint Combined Exercise for Training near Asuncion, the capital of Paraguay.

"We had just finished training when I heard the shot," Carlson said. "I grabbed my aid-bag and got to the barracks as fast as possible."

The unidentified Paraguayan soldier was shot when another soldier was trying to clear his 9mm Uzzi sub-machine gun. The soldier with the weapon fired a burst of rounds, one of which struck the other soldier in the temple behind the left eye. The bullet passed through his head and exited through the right side.

"I did what I could with the limited supplies I had in the aid-bag," Carlson said. "It wasn't much but I was able to stop most of the bleeding and start to stabilize him."

Chief Warrant Officer Jeffrey D. Dahlby, a fellow Special Forces soldier, assisted Carlson. Carlson, Dahlby and two other soldiers from their Special Forces team accompanied the wounded Paraguayan soldier to the local hospital.

"We were surprised to find out that there were no doctors available when we got to the hospital," Dahlby said. "The ones there were involved in a knee operation."

"We waited in the emergency room for 15 minutes before a doctor was available to look at the soldier," Carlson added. "Actually two doctors looked at him and both said there was nothing they could do. The hospital was old and in the process of moving to a new facility. The new hospital wasn't operational yet."

"It took about an hour before the hospital was able to move the soldier into the operating room," Dahlby said. "All this time Daniel kept him stable and supervised what medications the hospital could give. When our medications ran out, he had our guys go to a local pharmacy and buy what he needed."

"At times I had to stop the nurse on-duty from administering morphine to the soldier," Carlson added. "I knew morphine would slow the soldier's body processes down which would do more harm than good. "Once we were able to get the guy into the operating room, I was able to assist the doctors."

Carlson, like most other Special Forces soldiers assigned to 7th SFG (A), speaks fluent Spanish. His language ability, cultural training, medical training, and experiences working in Central and South America helped him work under the pressure of the operating room and with unfamiliar doctors.

"We were able to further stabilize the soldier which is amazing due to the conditions of the closing hospital," Carlson said. "Because of the previous operation and the limited supplies, there was a lack of infection control measures."

The next day the soldier was transported to Asuncion. After several days he regained consciousness. He is able to move all of his extremities and talk, but he is blind in both eyes.

"Without a doubt the soldier would have died if it weren't for Carlson's efforts," Dahlby said.

The American ambassador to Paraguay, Robert Service, heard of Carlson's actions and through military channels, awarded him the U.S. Army Commendation Medal.

"I wish there was more I could have done for the guy," Carlson said, "but I was only able to intervene so far."

(Editor's note: McCollum works at the U.S. Army Special Operation Command Public Affairs Office at Fort Bragg, N.C.)