Operational Implementation of Prolonged Field Care Kits for Large-Scale Combat Operations

Area of Science:

• Military Medicine
• Trauma Care
• Medical Logistics

Background:

• Prolonged Casualty Care (PCC) is critical for Large-Scale Combat Operations (LSCO) due to mass casualties and extended evacuation times.
• Existing Role 1 medical equipment is inadequate for prolonged casualty holding in contested environments.
• Previous Prolonged Field Care Kits (PFAKs) were too heavy and voluminous for practical field use.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop fieldable Prolonged Field Care Kits (PFAKs) that align with PCC Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs).
• To reduce the weight, volume, and logistical burden of medical equipment for distributed Role 1 operations.
• To create standardized PCC equipment configurations for conventional forces operating under LSCO.

Main Methods:

• A multidisciplinary working group refined candidate contents using tabletop exercises, field testing, and end-user feedback.
• Design priorities focused on reducing weight, volume, administration burden, cognitive burden, and logistical footprint.
• Two complementary systems were developed: PFAK Basic and PFAK Advanced (for mechanical ventilation).

Main Results:

• Developed two complementary PFAK systems (Basic and Advanced) optimized for weight and volume.
• Incorporated design tradeoffs such as simplified medication strategies and emphasis on oral/enteral alternatives.
• The PFAKs represent the first standardized PCC equipment configurations for conventional forces in LSCO.

Conclusions:

• The PFAKs provide a practical framework for translating PCC guidelines into scalable, tactically survivable Role 1 capabilities.
• Operational implementation in the 1st Marine Division demonstrates the feasibility of generating standardized PCC capabilities.
• This initiative enables conventional forces to enhance prolonged casualty care readiness using existing structures.