"Assessing Readiness: The State of the Military's Medical Corps"
Originally Published 1 year ago — by NPR
Advances in battlefield medicine during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, such as rapid medical response and new tourniquets, achieved unprecedented survival rates. However, post-war cost-cutting measures and outsourcing to civilian institutions have jeopardized these gains, reducing military medical readiness. The Pentagon is now reversing course to restore in-house medical care and staff, but future conflicts without air superiority may require every soldier to be trained as a medic.