Army Flight Paramedic Perceptions and Beliefs in the Current Medical Sustainment Model

Area of Science:

• Military Medicine
• Emergency Medical Services
• Medical Education

Background:

• Army Critical Care Flight Paramedics (F2s) are vital for casualty survival across the evacuation spectrum.
• A congressional mandate in 2012 aimed to enhance prehospital care by advancing Emergency Medical Technician Basic Flight Medics (F3) to the F2 level.
• Sustaining the F2 capability has been challenged by a lack of centralized support for local needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess F2 perceptions of their sustainment program.
• To evaluate F2 confidence in performing combat missions on no-notice deployments.
• To identify barriers to effective sustainment training and desired characteristics of an ideal program.

Main Methods:

• An independent, descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted.
• An online-based survey was developed and validated.
• The survey collected F2 perceptions on their sustainment program, confidence levels, and training barriers.

Main Results:

• The survey had a 22% response rate (105 respondents), with 54.3% having deployed as F2s.
• F2s reported lower confidence in performing duties on no-notice deployments compared to 2014 benchmarks (70% vs. 89%).
• Respondents indicated significant need for change in current training programs and identified unit taskings, operational tempo, and administrative duties as major barriers.

Conclusions:

• Military flight paramedics have unique sustainment requirements that are not adequately met by current programs.
• Objective metrics reveal measurable failures in the F2 sustainment program, necessitating improvements.
• Addressing the complex requirements and removing barriers to medical sustainment is a strategic imperative for maintaining combat readiness.