The Development of Planning and Measurement Tools for Casualty Evacuation Operations at the Joint Readiness Training Center

The present investigation sought to quantify small unit casualty evacuation (CASEVAC) practices at the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) and to determine the extent to which a job performance aid, the Warrior Leaders Casualty Evacuation Guide, might improve unit CASEVAC performance. Unit CASEVAC practices were measured by trainers/mentors using the Casualty Evacuation Checklist, a tool developed especially for the investigation. Over the course of ten unit rotations at JRTC, 768 checklists were collected and analyzed. The Warrior Leaders Casualty Evacuation Guide was found to positively influence unit performance in the areas of CASEVAC planning and execution. Unit strengths and weaknesses in CASEVAC operations were identified. Overall, units that rehearsed their CASEVAC plans were significantly less likely to have their CASEVAC operations interrupt mission accomplishment than units that did not rehearse their plans. This finding was consistent with previous research on troop leading procedures and unit information management practices at JRTC.