Medical Engagement as National Security Tool: A Prescription for Joint Doctrine

Military medicine has the potential to play a leading role in national security matters in the 21st century. Its inherent capabilities and the emerging environment make it a potential tool of choice for decision-makers. This paper shows military medicine has been a key instrument of national policy in the past, in both supporting and supported roles. The paper reviews US military medical operations in three conflicts where military medicine was closely linked to the national objectives. The strategic lessons learned are distilled and then compared to current joint military medical doctrine. The paper concludes many of the lessons are incorporated into today s doctrine but many are still missing. The most significant missing lesson is the ability of military medicine to be a primary tool for the achievement of national policy objectives. By highlighting military medicine s potential as an independent element in doctrine, command authorities will be more aware that the tool exists and more likely to use it to constructively engage within their areas of responsibility. The paper recommends each of the missing lessons be incorporated into joint military medical doctrine.