A Case Study in Revamping Military Medical Evacuation Education for Large-Scale Combat

Military medical evacuation education must adapt to meet rapid changes in the operational environment experienced during the Russia-Ukraine War and expected in the Indo-Pacific. The Medical Evacuation Doctrine Course is the U.S. Army's preeminent course on intra-theater medical evacuation and has been revamped to ensure the curriculum is relevant, useful, rigorous, and modern in preparation for large-scale combat operations in multiple theaters. Course changes include a renewed curriculum focus on air-ground medical evacuation integration and casualty evacuation, the development and deployment of a novel medical evacuation wargaming initiative, adding intelligence and operations staff roles to the final practical exercise, a return to analog planning products, and establishing theater-specific training days with targeted readings, discussions, guest speakers, and wargames. These revisions ensure that the next generation of military medical planners is adequately equipped to meet the demands of complex, multidomain operations in future conflicts. Additionally, this case study serves as a template for other military medical courses looking to realign their curricula accordingly.