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Battlefield Medicine:
A NEW
PERSPECTIVE
LIEUTENANT COLONEL
DONALD L. PARSONS,
U.S. ARMY RETIRED
T
he United States military is the
foremost fighting force in the
world today. We have the most
modern weapons systems and the most
sophisticated delivery techniques known to
man. However, Soldiers continue to die on
today’s battlefield the same way they died Sergeant Vernon Freeman
during the Civil War. While we have made A Soldier with the 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment renders aid to a team member with a
tremendous advances in modern medicine, simulated gunshot wound during urban combat training in Baghdad, Iraq.
we have not figured out how to keep people
from being killed in combat. extremity wounds — 9%
“It is difficult to emphasize
The Army Medical Department
sufficiently the importance of initial
Mutilating blast trauma — 7%
(AMEDD) spends a great deal of money
treatment on the battlefield. What the Tension pneumothorax (collapsed
improving our medical capabilities in
wounded Soldier does on his own behalf, lung under pressure) — 5%
training and equipment for Soldier care at
echelons II and above, (new digital X-ray, or what his infantry colleagues do for Airway problems — 1%
surgeons farther forward than ever before), him, and what the company aidman does Many of the above wounds are not
but little has been done to improve the for a traumatic amputation or a gaping survivable even with a fully staffed hospital
treatment and outcomes at the point of wound of the chest, in the thick of battle, present at the site of injury. However, the
wounding. We know that 90 percent of all in the dust and heat or in blowing snow three leading causes of preventable
combat deaths occur before a casualty — on these simple procedures depend battlefield death are: extremity
reaches a definitive medical facility, and if life and death… A slight improvement hemorrhage, tension pneumothorax, and
the Soldier survives long enough to reach in the skill and judgment of the company airway problems. We currently train our
definitive care his or her chances of survival aidman will save… more human lives medics as well as our combat lifesavers
are excellent. than will the attainment of 100-percent (CLS) to treat these conditions, but it is
There needs to be a shift in our thinking; perfection in the surgical hospital.” conceivable that they will not be available
the days of not providing self-aid and lying — Lieutenant Colonel (Dr.) when a Soldier is wounded. If a Soldier
Douglas Lindsey,
there and yelling “Medic” are over. We has an airway problem or major
Presentation to the Army Medical
must have the ability to assess our own hemorrhage, he has only a few minutes to
Graduate School 1951
wounds, provide self or buddy aid if needed, correct that problem before he is beyond
and continue the mission if able. The help. We should train and equip every
bottom line is the Army needs Soldiers who Soldier to respond to these injuries as well.
are equipped and trained at the point of That is the objective of this article.
The 75th Ranger Regiment has done just
wounding to decrease preventable Statistical analysis of battlefield deaths
that with all of their Soldiers. The Ranger
battlefield death. This strategy will increase show that Soldiers die from the following
First Responder Course trains every Ranger
the unit’s combat effectiveness and its wounds:
to provide basic lifesaving care in specific
survivability. Penetrating head trauma — 31%
tasks. In addition, they have provided
If we could make some minor changes Uncorrectable torso trauma — 25% additional medical training (EMT) for
in our common Soldier medical skills Potentially correctable torso trauma some squad members to help improve
training, we could improve the survival rate — 10% Soldier survivability. They have placed
of 15-20 percent of all battlefield deaths. Exsanguination (blood loss) from medical equipment throughout the squad