SSG Emmett William Spraktes (Ret).
Emmett Spraktes served for 10 years in the US Navy Reserve with Special Boat Teams (SBT). He held the rate of Gunners Mate Guns 2nd Class, completed the US Navy elite Special Warfare Combatant-Craft (SWCC) course and was assigned to SBU 11, Mare Island CA.
In 2002 he deployed with SBT 22 to Central/South America participating in Foreign Internal Defense/Maritime Interdiction Operations/Protective Services Detail Missions.
He enlisted in the California Army National Guard in 2004 and in 2007 deployed as a ground medic with the 1-143 Field Artillery to Balad, Iraq. Staff Sergeant (SSG) Spraktes returned home and 5 months later, was deployed to Jalalabad, Afghanistan as a Flight Medic with C Company, 1-168th GSAB. During his 10 month tour in Afghanistan he treated 184 patients, flew 250 combat flight hours and participated in 12 individual hoists.
SSG Spraktes is the recipient numerous awards including the Air Medal with "V" for Valor, Army Commendation Medal with "V", Combat Medic Badge and Silver Star for Gallantry in Action. He also received an Army Aviation Association of America Award for "Medic of the Year - 2009" and "Rescue of the Year - 2009.
Spraktes honorably retired in 2011 after 25 years of law enforcement, which included the California Department of Corrections, California State Police, Vacaville Police Department, and the California Highway Patrol (CHP). His past assignments included 10 years as a SWAT operator/medic, Governor's Protection Detail/Dignitary Protection/ Judicial Protection Detail, Flight Officer/ Paramedic, Drug Recognition Expert, Bicycle Patrol, Public Oriented Policing and Problem Solving, Emergency Medical Services Instructor at the CHP Academy and numerous other assignments.
Spraktes is currently a Nationally Registered Paramedic (NREMT-P) and California State licensed paramedic and is an associate academy instructor for the California Highway Patrol Emergency Medical Services Unit.
He is a past Assistant Government Program Assistant (AGPS) at the California Highway Patrol Academy at the Advanced Officer Safety Training (AOST) unit where he developed training techniques for sworn officers.
Spraktes is an instructor for D-PREP, teaching Adult and Pediatric CPR/First Aid, STOP THE BLEED, Rescue Task Force and Care Under Fire to civilian and law enforcement agencies. He is also a subcontractor for the National Criminal Justice Training Center.
Spraktes successfully completed an arduous 600 hour Explosive Detection Dog Handlers Course through Work Dogs international with master trainer Pat Beltz and a 40 hour Explosives recognition Safety/Handling and IED Dangers course.
Spraktes and his canine “Baby Doll” have worked numerous large events as a detection team.
Spraktes has been interviewed by numerous radio talk show hosts and has lectured as a featured presenter and keynote speaker for a variety organizations and Law Enforcement associations such as The Departments Of Defenses Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) conference, California's Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST), the Oregon Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP), Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy Associates (FBINAA), Riverside County Law Enforcement Administrators Association (RCLEAA) to name a just a few.
Spraktes also continues to teach Tactical First Aid/First Responder and Care Under Fire to civilians, Military and law enforcement organizations such as FBI SWAT, CHP SWAT, San Joaquin Sheriff's Office SWAT, Department of Homeland Security and the Governor's Protective Detail just to name a few.
AUTHOR
Army Flight Medic
SSG Emmett William Spraktes (Ret).
About SELFISH PRAYER
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Welcome friends to the Selfish Prayer website. This site is dedicated to our Military and Law Enforcement (LE) heroes. I do hope you enjoy this book about Army MEDEVAC in Afghanistan. It memorializes the battles, the political struggles and the personal costs of war and reintegration. I was among many who worked very hard to change the U.S. Army's philosophy on DUSTOFF flight Medic training with the goal of greatly increasing our war fighter's survivability. I decided at the outset of writing this book that a percentage of my book sales would go to a variety of Military and LE charities. I choose the amount to donate based on sales in a quarter or, if I'm sponsored to present, I donate based on sales to the charity of the sponsor's choice. I continue to travel and conduct presentations to LE agencies, military organizations and private industries on a variety of subjects including Service Member's reintegration post-deployment back into "The Real World", leadership under pressure and my Military and LE experiences. I also provide private consultations within this arena. Additionally, I teach tactical pre-hospital medicine and techniques, such as patient movement under fire. Please feel free to check the site calendar for upcoming lectures and book signings. Thank you for your support.