CASUALTY

EVACUATION

OPERATIONS

PURPOSEPURPOSE

The purpose of this briefing is to

provide an overview of casualty

evacuation procedures and to

provide you the information

necessary to set up a SOP for

casualty evacuation procedures at

your respective sites

TASK: Conduct cas-evac operations

CONDITIONS: In a field environment, given an injured soldier, a radio, a combat lifesaver bag, and the desire to save their buddy’s life.

STANDARDS: Soldiers must demonstrate a general knowledge of cas-evac operations, properly format and submit a med-evac request utilizing the “nine line” format.

REFERENCESREFERENCES

• FM 8-10-4, Medical Platoon Leader’s Handbook (TTPs)

• FM 7-20, The Infantry Battalion• CTC Trends, JRTC, Nov 97, No.

97-19• CALL Newsletter, Jul 99, No. 99-6• CMTC Trends Compendium Apr

98• FM 21-11, First Aid for Soldiers

AGENDA

• REDUCING COMBAT DEATHS• CHS LIFESAVING MEASURES• IMPORTANCE OF THE CLS• PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS• MEDICAL TREATMENT

FACILITIES• TRANSPORTATION OF

CASUALTIES• CATEGORIES OF

PRECEDENCE• THE MEDEVAC REQUEST

• Majority of combat deaths occur on The battlefield before evacuation Takes place

• 80% of combat deaths occur within First hour after initial injury

• 50% of combat deaths are a result of the soldier bleeding to death

• Of these 50% of combat deaths, 40% could have lived had the bleeding been stopped

REDUCING COMBAT DEATHSREDUCING COMBAT DEATHS

• SELF-AID

• BUDDY AID

• COMBAT LIFESAVER

• COMBAT MEDIC

• TREATMENT SQUAD

CHS CHS LIFESAVING LIFESAVING MEASURESMEASURES

• A MEMBER OF THE SQUAD OR CREW

• TRAINED, EVALUATED & CERTIFIED IN MEDICAL SKILLS

• EXPERTISE BEYOND BASIC FIRST AID

WHAT IS A WHAT IS A COMBAT COMBAT

LIFESAVER?LIFESAVER?

• ADDITIONAL LIFESAVING EXPERTISE AT THE SQUAD/CREW LEVEL

• EXTENSION OF THE PLATOON MEDIC

• USES SKILLS & EQUIPMENT CONSISTENT WITH HIS SECONDARY MISSION

• PRIMARY MOS IS FIRST RESPONSIBILITY

COMBAT COMBAT LIFESAVER’S LIFESAVER’S

ROLEROLE

• Medical Evacuation

• Medical Treatment Facilities

Basic Planning Basic Planning ConsiderationsConsiderations

Planning Medical Planning Medical EvacuationEvacuation

• Medical evacuation requirements and units available are listed to include their locations, missions, and attachments.

• Location of casualty collecting points and ambulance exchange points are placed on overlays.

• Identify routes, means and schedules (if any) of evacuation and responsibilities.

• Evacuation request procedures and channels.

Medical Treatment Medical Treatment FacilitiesFacilities

• Medical treatment facilities (aid

stations, hospitals).

• Locations and missions of

appropriate medical treatment

facilities.

EXECUTION:

Casualty evacuation is a team effort. The primary duty of a combat lifesaver is the mission. Treatment of casualties is secondary. Appropriate ground and air evacuation techniques should be used based on METT-T and on patient categories of precedence (URGENT, PRIORITY, and ROUTINE).

COMMUNICATIONS:

Redundant communications are important to timely casualty evacuation.

SAFETY:

Leaders must retain common sense and attention to safety considerations despite their concern for casualties.

Transportation of Casualties

• When the situation is urgent you may have to transport the casualty. For this reason, you must know how to transport him without increasing the seriousness of his condition.

• Transporting a casualty by litter is safer and more comfortable for him than by manual means; it is also easier for you.

• Manual transportation, however, may be the only feasible method because of the terrain or the combat situation.

Standard Evacuation Standard Evacuation TypesTypes

UH-60A/Q Ambulance

*An M113 series Armored Ambulance can carry 4 litters

UH-60Q Interior

Non-Standard Non-Standard Evacuation TypesEvacuation Types

•USE SPECIALIZED EQUIPMENT

•POLELESS LITTER •SKED LITTER •DESIGNATE AND TRAIN AID AND LITTER TMS

Casualty Evacuation Casualty Evacuation TTPsTTPs

The rapidly employable lightweight litter, referred to as the SKEDS litter, is designed to be used as a rescue system in most types of terrain, including mountains, jungle, waterborne, and on snow or ice.

Manual Carries One-man carries

Two-man carries

Manual Carries (One Man)

• Fireman’s Carry

• Support Carry

• Arms Carry

• Pistol-belt Carry and Drag

• Neck Drag

TWO-MAN SUPPORT

CARRY

TWO-MAN SUPPORT

CARRY (cont)

Manual Carries (two man)

• Two man support carry

• Two man arms carry

• Two man fore-and-aft carry

• Two hand seat carry

CATEGORIES OF CATEGORIES OF PRECEDENCE FOR PRECEDENCE FOR

EVACUATIONEVACUATION

URGENT-PATIENT WHO SHOULD BE EVACUATED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND WITHIN TWO HOURS TO SAVE LIFE, LIMB, OR EYESIGHT.

PRIORITY-PATIENT WHO SHOULD BE MOVED WITHIN FOUR HOURS OR HIS/HER CONDITION WILL DETERIORATE TO SUCH A DEGREE THAT HE WILL BECOME URGENT.

ROUTINE-PERSONNEL WHOSE CONDITION IS NOT EXPECTED TO WORSEN SIGNIFICANTLY AND WHO WILL REQUIRE EVACUATION IN THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

LINE ITEM/BREVITY CODES

1 Location of pickup site

2 Frequency/Call sign of pickup site

3 Number of patients by precedence

A - URGENT

C - PRIORITY

D - ROUTINE

4 Special equipment

A - NONE

B - HOIST

C - EXTRACTION EQUIPMENT

D - VENTILATOR

5 Number of patients by type

L + # LITTER

A + # AMBULATORY

6 Security of pickup site

N - NO ENEMY

P - POSSIBLE ENEMY

E - ENEMY IN AREA

X - ARMED ESCORT NEEDED

7 Method of marking pickup site

A - PANELS

B - PYROTECHNICS

C - SMOKE

D - NONE

E - OTHER

8 Patient nationality and status

A - US MILITARY

B - US CIVILIAN

C - NON US MILITARY

D - NON US CIVILIAN

E - EPW

9 NBC contamination

N - NUCLEAR

B - BIOLOGICAL

C – CHEMICAL

MEDEVAC REQUEST FORMAT

LOCATION OF THE

PICKUP SITE

LINE 1LINE 1

RADIO FREQUENCY/CALL

SIGNAND SUFFIX

LINE 2LINE 2

SOI and ANCD

LINE 3LINE 3

NUMBER OF PATIENTS BY PRECEDENCE

BREVITY CODES:

A- URGENT

C -PRIORITY

D -ROUTINE

BREVITY CODES:– A NONE

– B HOIST

– C EXTRACTION EQUIPMENT

– D VENTILATOR

LINE 4LINE 4

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT REQUIRED

BREVITY CODES:

– L + #Patients Litter

– A + #Patients Ambulatory

LINE 5LINE 5

NUMBER OF PATIENTS BY TYPE

BREVITY CODES:

– N NO ENEMY

– P POSSIBLE ENEMY TROOPS IN AREA (APPROACH WITH

CAUTION)

– E ENEMY TROOPS IN AREA (APPROACH WITH

CAUTION)

– X ENEMY TROOPS IN AREA

(ARMED ESCORT REQUIRED)

LINE 6LINE 6

SECURITY OF PICKUP SITE (WARTIME)

GIVE SPECIFIC INFORMATION, GUNSHOT WOUND, BLEEDING AND BLOOD TYPE IF KNOWN

LINE 6LINE 6

NUMBER AND TYPE OF WOUND, INJURY, OR

ILLNESS (PEACETIME)

LINE 7LINE 7

METHOD OF MARKING PICKUP

SITE

BREVITY CODE:– A PANELS– B PYROTECHNIC

SIGNAL– C SMOKE

SIGNAL– D NONE– E OTHER

LINE 8LINE 8

PATIENT NATIONALITY AND

STATUS

ENCRYPT BREVITY CODE:– A US MILITARY– B US CIVILIAN– C NON-US MILITARY– D NON-US CIVILIAN– E EPW (Detainee)

LINE 9LINE 9

NBC CONTAMINATION

(Wartime)

ENCRYPT BREVITY CODE:– N NUCLEAR– B BIOLOGICAL– C CHEMICAL

LINE 9LINE 9

TERRAIN DESCRIPTION

(PEACETIME)

INCLUDE DETAILS OF TERRAIN FEATURES IN

AND AROUND PROPOSED LANDING SITE

Example

“Badger03 this is Badger76 MEDEVAC 9 line follows—over”

“This is Badger03 send it –over”

“line 1-- UV 8945 4452“line 2-- 30300 in the red, badger76“line 3-- 1C“line 4-- A“line 5-- 1A“line 6-- N““line 6-- 1, broken ankle compound line 6-- 1, broken ankle compound fracture fracture (peacetime)(peacetime)“line 7-- C“line 8--A“line 9-- NONE““line 9-- Open field no power lines.line 9-- Open field no power lines.((peacetime)peacetime)“Over”

“This is Badger03 roger out”

SUMMARY

• REDUCING COMBAT DEATHS• CHS LIFESAVING MEASURES• IMPORTANCE OF THE CLS• PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS• MEDICAL TREATMENT

FACILITIES• TRANSPORTATION OF

CASUALTIES• CATEGORIES OF

PRECEDENCE• THE MEDEVAC REQUEST