More than 800 service members from all military branches and different parts of the country this week learned first-responder medical skills to help save lives on and off the battlefield.

The Combat Lifesaver Course, completed Friday at Camp Rapid and Ellsworth Air Force Base, started the South Dakota National Guard's annual training exercise known as "Golden Coyote 2008." The course trained soldiers in advanced emergency medical aid, according to instructor 2nd Lt. Richard Jackson Jackson of the 801st Combat Support Hospital in Indianapolis, Ind.

"Soldiers are taught to use their skills and the environment to control the situation, take care of the casualty, and how to move them to safe care," Jackson said. "The biggest challenge of this course is teaching nonmedical personnel to perform medical treatments."

This training is crucial to all military members, said program coordinator Maj. Reginna Campbell of the 801st.

"It is such a great class. The soldiers want to be here, and they want to learn," she said. "The end result is that they are going to help save someone's life."

That is precisely the objective of Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Marvin Makarwich of the Operational Health Support Unit out of Dallas.

"The goals I wish to accomplish are to first to learn basic skills to save causalities out on the battlefield," he said. "The second goal is to improve relations between services. The Navy, Army and Air Force are all working together here."

Military studies indicate about 15 percent of ground combat deaths could be prevented if proper and prompt medical attention were administered. This course gives the knowledge, skills and experience that can help injured service members survive.

"Despite the realities of combat, I'd hate to think that it might be one of my buddies that you would have to apply these live-saving techniques to in a real-life scenario," said Spc. Louie Clement of the 109th Regional Support Group of South Dakota Army National Guard.

Although the training will help with what happens in uniform, Clement said the course also will help him in his work as aquatics and recreation program director in his hometown of Sturgis.

Instructor Jackson said the course can benefit National Guard and Reserve members and the communities in which they live.

"One thing about a soldier is that we take to the battlefield the things we learn in the civilian world, and we take to the civilian world the things we learned on the battlefield," said Jackson.

The South Dakota National Guard is hosting the annual Golden Coyote exercise through June 21 in the southern Black Hills. More than 4,000 service members from 92 units representing 27 states and four foreign nations are participating in the exercise.