Surgical and Resuscitation Capabilities for the "Next War" Based on Lessons Learned From "This War"

The Army gleaned many lessons regarding the provision of medical care to casualties during the past 14 years of combat. Using these lessons learned in the Joint Capabilities and Integration Development process and through the analysis of an integrated process action team, the Army recently approved 3 changes to medical organizations that are intended to provide trauma management farther forward on the battlefield. These changes include the substitution of an emergency medicine trained physician and emergency medicine physician assistant (PA) in lieu of a general medical officer and primary care PA within the brigade combat team; reorganization of the forward surgical team into a forward surgical and resuscitative team; and the modularization of the traditional 248 bed combat support hospital. The Army anticipates that these changes related to personnel, organizations, doctrine, and materiel will enable Army medicine to provide enhanced trauma management closer to the point of a combatant's injury. These modifications are projected to begin in fiscal year 2016.