Research for Casualties

In the future, medical support for Naval Expeditionary Forces will face different and perhaps more difficult challenges. Under traditional doctrine, medical support relies heavily on placing its assets on the beach, after an initial buildup of forces clears the area of enemy threats. In future operations, however, under the Operational Maneuver From the Sea Concept, there will often be no buildup of forces at a beach landing site. The warfighters will operate with great force and at a pace that allows them to dictate the terms of the conflict. They will act decisively, at multiple locations if called for, over large distances, keeping the enemy reactive and ineffective by applying strengths to enemy weaknesses. Small units will move independently, exploiting weaknesses that could not have been predicted before battle. This research memorandum addresses two questions: What are Navy medicine's alternatives for handling the greater need for information and communication in the new battle environment? And What are Navy medicine's minimum information and communication requirements for doing its job in such taxing conditions?

This volume of the Desert Storm Reconstruction Report describes the medical support provided by the Navy during Desert Shield/Desert Storm and discusses the lessons learned during the operation.