Operation Desert Storm: Improvements Required in the Navy's Wartime Medical CareProgram

摘要

Navy medical units were assigned wartime missions they were not prepared tofulfill. They were neither staffed nor equipped to care for the numbers of casualties they were told to expect, provide noncombat medical care, support the evacuation of casualties out of theater, or receive large numbers of chemically contaminated casualties. The personnel information systems used to assign individuals to Navy medical units contained incomplete and outdated information. Many physicians and nurses who were scheduled to deploy did not do so for a variety of reasons. In addition, medical personnel had not trained during peacetime to perform their wartime mission. Personnel also raised concerns about the ability to obtain equipment and supplies necessary to treat mass casualties and to perform other missions. Fortunately, the 6-month period between deployment and the start of the ground war allowed individuals and units to prepare for their wartime responsibilities.