Background

The nature of military operations in the 21st Century is distinctly different from the ‘set piece’ conflicts of the past.

Modern operations are both complex and multilateral, with the unlikelihood of any coalition nation unilaterally deploying troops in isolation. Today’s warfare is conducted by coalitions and commonwealths of nations working in unison.

The threat to the deployed personnel has far from diminished, requiring deliverance of highly sophisticated medical care at the point of wounding without the comprise of care and swift evacuation.

A reality of battlefield medicine is that the fate of the casualty rests with the person who applies the first dressing, and often not a professional medic.

This situation places a tremendous clinical responsibility on non-medically qualified soldiers delivering sophisticated medical techniques while working in conditions of extreme stress.