DATE=7/21/99 TYPE=REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK NUMBER=5-43923 TITLE==ENGLAND / COMBAT COURSE BYLINE=EVE CONANT DATELINE=HEREFORD, ENDGLAND CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: JOURNALISTS WHO ENTER WAR ZONES ARE INCREASINGLY AT RISK OF LOSING THEIR OWN LIVES. IN 1994, SO FAR THE WORST YEAR FOR JOURNALIST KILLINGS, 115 REPORTERS DIED WHILE COVERING CONFLICTS IN RWANDA, ALGERIA, BOSNIA AND RUSSIA. FOLLOWING A REQUEST FROM A BBC JOURNALIST FOR SPECIAL TRAINING, THREE RETIRED OFFICERS OF BRITAIN'S ELITE S-A-S FORCES -- THE SPECIAL AIR SERVICE -- HAVE DRAWN ON THEIR EXPERIENCES TO TRAIN JOURNALISTS NOT TO MAKE WHAT COULD BE FATAL MISTAKES. CORRESPONDENT EVE CONANT WHO VISITED SOUTHERN ENGLAND TO ATTEND THE S-A-S COURSE, KNOWN AS "SURVIVING HOSTILE REGIONS" FILED THIS REPORT. TEXT: THE ONE-WEEK COURSE COVERS TOPICS RANGING FROM THE MULTIPLE USES OF BULLETPROOF VESTS, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SNIPER RIFLE AND A KALASHNIKOV, AND WHAT TO DO IF YOU OR A JOURNALIST COLLEAGUE STEPS ON A LANDMINE. THE MEDICAL TRAINING, LED BY RETIRED SAS PARAMEDIC PAUL BROWN, IS TAUGHT USING CASE BY CASE SCENARIOS. /// BROWN ACT /// THE DOORS OPEN, YOU CAN SEE PEOPLE DOWN IN THE CORRIDOR, SCREAMING. YOU'RE IN THE GARDEN. WHAT'S THE FIRST THING YOU'VE GOT TO THINK ABOUT? THIS IS BASIC STUFF, FIRST THING YOU HAVE TO CONSIDER.. Q: WHETHER OR NOT TO GO IN? A: BECAUSE OF WHAT? Q: MORE MINES, MORE EXPLOSIVES. A: BECAUSE OF DANGER TO YOU. YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO RENDER ASSISTANCE IF YOU GET INJURED AS WELL. /// END ACT /// TO ILLUSTRATE HIS POINT HE PLAYS A VIDEO TAKEN BY A SWEDISH CAMERAMAN WHO WAS SHOT IN THE LEG WHILE FILMING IN ZAIRE. THE VIDEO, WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN A NEWS STORY BUT IS NOW USED AS A TRAINING FILM FOR HOW TO SURVIVE WAR ZONES, BEGINS WITH A RECORDED INTERVIEW WITH A ZAIREAN MAN. /// NATURAL SOUND FROM VIDEO /// VOICES: ARE YOU FROM RWANDA ORIGINALLY OR ARE YOU FROM ZAIRE? NATURAL SOUND: EXPLOSION AND THEN GUNFIRE... KEEP NATURAL SOUND UNDER NEXT GRAPH /// THE CAMERAMAN IS SHOT. EVEN AS GUNMEN CONTINUE TO FIRE AT THEM, A SWEDISH CORRESPONDENT IS ABLE TO APPLY A TOURNIQUET TO THE CAMERAMAN'S LEG TO PREVENT HIM FROM BLEEDING TO DEATH. THE FOUNDER OF THE COURSE, ANDREW KAIN, ANOTHER RETIRED SAS SECURITY SPECIALIST, FOCUSES ON MILITARY ISSUES IN WAR ZONES. HE BEGINS HIS LECTURE BY UNLOADING BULLETS ONTO THE CLASSROOM TABLE. /// ACT KAIN, WITH NATURAL SOUND OF BULLETS ON TABLE/// "SO THE ONES ON THE RIGHT ARE HIGH VELOCITY, ON THE LEFT ARE LOW VELOCITY. CAN ANYONE SEE THE DIFFERENCE?" /// END TRACK /// BY THE END OF THE COURSE, THE JOURNALIST PUPILS KNOW HOW TO CRAWL THROUGH THE GRASS TO SEARCH FOR LANDMINES -- IF SUCH A NEED ARISES. THEY ALSO LEARN WHERE TO HIDE WHEN ARMIES START TOSSING SHELLS AND MORTARS IN THEIR DIRECTION. TO MAKE SURE THE CLASSROOM LECTURES ARE FULLY UNDERSTOOD, THERE IS A FIELD TRIP, DESIGNED BY PARAMEDIC PAUL BROWN TO BE THE TYPE OF TRIP YOU'D NEVER WANT TO TAKE. /// ACT BROWN /// OK, YOU'VE BEEN FOLLOWING JOURNALIST COLLEAGUES, YOU DECIDED TO GO AS A GROUP BECAUSE YOU THOUGHT IT WOULD BE SAFER. THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN FOLLOWING THE OTHER VEHICLE, THERE'S BEEN A BIT OF AN EXPLOSION. THE VEHICLE WENT INTO THIS FARMYARD, THERE'S BEEN A BIT OF A BANG, YOU CAN SEE WHERE IT IS NOW. THREE OF YOUR COLLEAGUES ARE IN THE CAR. SO ITS UP TO YOU WHAT YOU DO. /// END ACT /// THE QUIET ENGLISH COUNTRYSIDE IS DISRUPTED BY THE SHOUTS OF LOCAL WOULD-BE ACTORS, WHO ARE ACTUALLY PARAMEDICS, PRETENDING TO BE TRAPPED IN A CAR. /// SOUND OF SHOUTING /// MY LEG! BE CAREFUL... SHOUTING, GROANING... ///KEEP NAT RUNNING UNDER NEXT GRAPH/// ALTHOUGH THEIR INJURIES ARE NOT REAL, THE STRESS FACTOR IS. THE JOURNALISTS USE THEIR NEWLY ACQUIRED SKILLS TO TEND TO THE FAKE WOUNDS, AND TO MONITOR FOR POSSIBLE DANGER. ALTHOUGH IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO TELL WHAT COULD HAPPEN IN A REAL SITUATION, THE TRAINING INCREASES THE LIKELIHOOD THEY WILL BE ABLE TO ACT EFFECTIVELY NEXT TIME SOMEONE REALLY DOES GET INJURED IN THE FIELD. (SIGNED) NEB/EC/KL 21-Jul-99 10:58 AM EDT (1458 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .