Bridging the gaps in prolonged casualty care: the Prolonged Evacuation Transport Team (PETT) programme

In response to Ukrainian-identified training gaps in the Ukrainian Armed Forces Special Operations Forces (UAF SOF) medical evacuation chain, NATO SOF medical elements developed the Prolonged Evacuation Transport Team (PETT) training programme. The PETT programme provides critical knowledge and skills to Ukrainian SOF medical personnel to increase survivability and decrease morbidity during contested or prolonged evacuation. The bespoke 3-week curriculum uses components of existing US Joint Trauma System products. Medical professionals, such as paramedics, feldshers and nurses, excelled in the full curriculum, resulting in requests for serial iterations of the programme. However, those with limited medical training (1-3 weeks) faced a steeper learning curve. This finding revealed a requirement for the development of a truncated version of PETT, termed Prolonged Critical Lifesaving Skills. The PETT programme successfully advanced UAF SOF's medical capabilities and established a model for future standardised training in contested environments with prolonged evacuation timelines.