Combat dermatology: the role of the deployed army dermatologist

Shortly after completing residency or fellowship, army dermatologists routinely deploy to combat zones as field surgeons. The US Army generally does not deploy dermatologists for their expertise in diagnosing and managing cutaneous diseases; rather, as field surgeons they provide routine, emergency, and trauma care for active-duty soldiers and coalition forces. In this article, we review the various functions of the deployed dermatologist and highlight the importance of maintaining basic emergency medical skills that could be generalized to the civilian population in case of local or national emergencies.