Casualty Evacuation in the Contemporary Operating Environment

The objective of this monograph is to determine whether the Army's casualty evacuation system is adequate to support soldiers in future combat. Research indicates the high Dow rates results primarily from the units' difficulties in efficiently evacuating soldiers. Medical wisdom suggests that lives are saved or lost as a result of action taken within the "goldenhour" following a potentially fatal injury. To assess the adequacy of the Army's casualty evacuation system, this monograph examines the nature and unique characteristics of expected combat casualty wounds and published combat health support doctrine. The paper further provides information on emerging medical technologies applicable to the discussion of traumatic injury, and respective medical care.