Combat Trauma Lessons Learned from Military Operations of 2001 - 2013

The survival rate of Service members injured in combat has significantly improved during the recent decade of military conflict due to advances in trauma care and knowledge gained by medical personnel in the pre-hospital far forward environment. As the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan wind down, the Department of Defense (DoD) recognizes the importance of learning from these conflicts and preserving the advances in trauma care achieved in both theaters. On May 18, 2012, the Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness (USD(P and R)) requested that the Defense Health Board (DHB) develop a Theater Trauma Lessons Learned document summarizing lessons learned from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan and recommend strategies for preserving these lessons in future conflicts. The DHB tasked its Trauma and Injury Subcommittee with conducting a review, summarizing the key lessons, and developing a strategy for their preservation for the Boards consideration. Combined, the members of the DHB Trauma and Injury Subcommittee have decades of experience in the fields of civilian and military emergency, trauma, and casualty care.