The Chicken, Fox, and Grain: Solving the Problem of CASEVAC

The U.S. Army's current casualty evacuation (CASEVAC) strategy is inadequate for managing large-scale conflicts, particularly when mass casualties can overwhelm evacuation capabilities. The Army must rethink CASEVAC to meet the demands of future conflicts, where the U.S. may face peer adversaries capable of causing a significant number of casualties. The authors advocate that the Army should adopt a "whole of force" approach, prioritizing the requirements of the maneuver commander and enhancing operational flexibility and simplicity. To achieve this, the Army should revise its current CASEVAC doctrine, expand the integration of CASEVAC in training, and evaluate its current force structure to ensure it supports effective CASEVAC and MEDEVAC operations. Additionally, the authors present three concepts: creating asymmetric outcomes, thinking differently, and adopting a bias for action, which can all further improve the Army's CASEVAC capabilities and capacity. By embracing these concepts and recommendations, the Army can effectively support maneuver commanders and maximize the number of casualties it can replace in theater, thereby gaining a competitive edge in a great power conflict.