Senior U.S. Army leaders, in light of the lessons learned from the Russia-Ukraine War, emphasized the urgent need to modernize medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) and related operational missions in light of the high casualty figures expected in future large-scale conflicts. According to assessments made at the annual meeting of the U.S. Army Command in Washington, future wars point to large-scale casualties that could far exceed the numbers of U.S. soldiers lost in recent conflicts.
Impossibility of Evacuation in a High-Casualty Environment
A shared concern among the three leaders attending the meeting was that effectively transporting large numbers of wounded from the battlefield is nearly impossible with current capabilities. Sergeant Major James Light, the top commander of the 1st Cavalry Division, summarized this challenge by saying, “As long as it doesn’t have a main armament, anything with wheels or tracks is a casualty.” This situation poses an even greater problem for armored combat brigades, which carry far more vehicles than light infantry brigades.
Master Sergeant Oracio Pena, the top commander at the Joint Readiness Training Center, noted that infantry brigades, in particular, were forced to rely on Humvees and infantry squad vehicles, which can carry only one casualty at a time. On the other hand, Major Jesus Gonzalez, a Command Sergeant Major from the U.S. Army Center of Excellence for Medical Care, stated that although vehicles to transport the wounded were available, they observed that the units undergoing training lacked evacuation plans at the platoon and company levels.
Medical Modernization and Unmanned Systems
To overcome these challenges, the Army is taking steps to improve equipment and training for both medical and non-medical personnel. These steps include:
- Equipment Modernization: Combat First Aid Kits and Stretcher Bags —which serve as soldiers’ first-aid kits—are being modernized.
- Personnel Reinforcement: Combat medics are being deployed in the Mobile Maneuver Battalion to reduce the challenges of evacuating the wounded.
- Use of Unmanned Vehicles: Aircraft and unmanned ground vehicles (UAVs/UGVs) are being used to locate the wounded, identify evacuation routes, and deliver medical supplies (medications, blood, etc.).
- Advanced First Aid Training: First aid training is being updated to include topics such as tourniquet application, freeze-dried plasma, and rapid blood typing. In addition, efforts are underway to increase the number of combat medics assigned per platoon, squad, vehicle, or crew.
These steps are part of a comprehensive modernization effort aimed at enhancing the U.S. Army’s ability to respond more quickly, safely, and effectively to casualties on the battlefield in future conflicts.
