This course implements a new, DoD-wide standard for the practical application of fresh whole blood transfusions, a critical skill in austere environments. While earlier iterations of the Valkyrie program have been successfully used across the Marine Corps, this JTS-certified course represents the official, standardized future of pre-hospital transfusion training. The original "Valkyrie" concept was developed in 2017 by U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Russell Wier to bring emergency transfusion capabilities to the front lines.

“Ultimately, the course builds the competence and confidence needed to preserve life in the most challenging circumstances,” said U.S. Navy Lt. Jeri Baber, a laboratory officer with 2nd Medical Battalion. “Giving medical personnel multiple options to keep their brothers and sisters alive long enough to bring them home.”

The five-day program provided students with hands-on experience under the new joint standard, covering everything from managing donor rosters to performing transfusions. The training is designed to replicate battlefield conditions where medical teams must rely on a "walking blood bank" – using fellow service members as donors – after exhausting pre-packaged supplies.

“The primary purpose of this course is to provide realistic, hands-on experience in developing rosters, managing critical supplies, and conducting blood collection and transfusion procedures in a pre-hospital setting,” said Baber.

To ensure the program's continued growth, the course followed a "train the trainer" model. Expert trainers from the Joint Trauma System supervised new instructors from 2nd Medical Battalion’s Alpha and Bravo Companies as they led the course, certifying them to conduct future training. This standardized course will now be held at least quarterly, prioritizing deploying units. The goal is to develop more certified instructors and expand this critical, life-saving standard to other units across the force.