New Medical Technology on the Battlefield and Implications for Casualty Reduction: Fact or Friction

摘要

The Joint Vision 2020 and Army Vision 2010 are outlining the force of the future, which is calling for a smaller, lighter, more agile force, capable of rapid deployment at a moment's notice. The author surveys the current and future medical force structure designed to meet the challenge for improved soldier care. The author provides a brief overview of today's combat health system and reviews, from a historical perspective, casualty experience over a continuum of military conflicts. Assimilating casualty experience, future vision, battlefield care needs, and selected medical technologies are reviewed within categories of the soldier, communications, and evacuation to determine implications for casualty reduction. Concluding remarks summarize the discussion along with the relevancy of current technology reviewed.