
Are there any military treatment facilities that no longer provide care?
(U.S. Navy/Jacob Sippel) Pentagon officials on Wednesday released a list of military treatment facilities and clinics that will no longer provide care to military retirees and active-duty families as part of a shift in focus to supporting active-duty readiness.
Where did The Walking Wounded receive treatment during the war?
The walking wounded could receive treatment at an Advanced Dressing Station. One of these stations would receive wounded men from several nearby advanced dressing stations. Most of the wounded men were passed onto casualty clearing stations. Patients who survived and arrived at a Casualty Clearing Station needed surgery and nursing care.
Why did the US Army bring in Ranger doctors?
The Army "brought in Ranger doctors, Special Forces physician assistants and others at the height of the war to assimilate rapidly vital after-action reports from divisions and brigade combat teams...to make the combat medic training program such a huge success for our Army and our Soldiers in need," McVeigh said.
How did the British treat wounded soldiers in the war?
Weapons used during trench warfare created terrible injuries that required complex medical treatment. The British forces developed a triage to prioritise the treatment of wounded soldiers. Australian medical and nursing units cared for the sick and wounded wherever the men served.

What is Battlefield Healthcare?
Battlefield medicine, also called field surgery and later combat casualty care, is the treatment of wounded combatants and non-combatants in or near an area of combat. Civilian medicine has been greatly advanced by procedures that were first developed to treat the wounds inflicted during combat.
Who took care of soldiers when they were ill?
The wounded were cared for by servants, camp followers, and other warriors. The lord might have a physician, but no more than one or two. In short, if a soldier was wounded, he was pretty much on his own.
How were wounded soldiers treated in ww1?
The seriously injured were taken by ambulance to a casualty clearing station. This was a set of tents or huts where emergency treatment, including surgery, was carried out. They were then transferred to a hospital away from the front, where they would be looked after by nurses, most of whom were volunteers.
How were wounds treated during the Civil war?
Here doctors removed bullets, cleaned and bandaged wounds, and performed amputations as necessary. Nearly all surgeries, North and South, were performed with anesthesia, either chloroform or ether, although chloroform was preferred.
What treatment did injured soldiers receive?
The major areas of emphasis are medical evacuation and organization; wounds and wound management; surgical technique and technology, with a particular focus on amputation; infection and antibiotics; and blood transfusion.
What were field hospitals in the Civil War?
Field hospitals were facilities where mortally wounded men were given a few comforts and set aside to die. They were in short a concentration of the vilest aftereffects of battle. The common perception of Civil War hospitals and surgeons was generally quite negative during the conflict.
What were dressing stations?
Dressing stations were located in abandoned buildings, dug-outs or bunkers to protect from shelling. Sometimes they had to use tents. Each station would have 10 medical officers, medical orderlies and stretcher bearers. From 1915 nurses were used in the chain of casualty evacuation.
Where do wounded soldiers go?
Many wounded warriors from Afghanistan and Iraq are extracted by a medevac helicopter to a combat support hospital at a forward operating base (FOB). If additional treatment is needed they typically are transported from the FOB to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, which is a level II military treatment facility.
What were medics called in WW1?
immunesThey had medical corpsmen, called immunes. They practiced front-line treatment, with evacuation through well-organized supply and logistics chains. Because of their improved sanitation, their armies suffered somewhat less from the epidemics which swept military camps.
Which group cared for wounded troops?
Volunteer relief groups, such as the U.S. Sanitary Commission, organized medical aid, while individual medical professionals such as Clara Barton bravely took to the battlefields to care for the wounded. Soldiers did not wear dog tags or have any system of personal records.
What was the medical care during the Civil War?
Medications that were helpful included quinine for malaria, morphine, chloroform, and ether, as well as paregoric. Many others were harmful. Fowler's solution was used to treat fevers and contained arsenic. Calomel (mercurous chloride) was used for diarrhea.
What was the most common nickname for Civil War doctors?
Medicine would advance significantly over the next several years, but it was too late for those wounded during the Civil War. Because they were so good at performing amputations, doctors were nicknamed "sawbones". Around 75% of amputee soldiers survived the operation.
What was the British Army's new triage system?
This new transport and assessment system meant that soldiers could be treated by medical staff as fast as possible. The wounded were sorted and moved along a medical chain via a transport network that included: stretcher bearers. horse-drawn wagons.
Why did the men lowered blankets over the regimental aid post?
During a gas attack, the men lowered blankets over the regimental aid post to prevent gas from seeping into it. AWM E00900. The Regimental Aid Post of the 15th Battalion AIF, in the Ypres Sector, 1917 AWM E00900. Private Sir Albert Coates was an Australian medical orderly who served on the Western Front.
How many Australian Imperial Force soldiers were injured?
In the Australian Imperial Force (AIF), for example, most wounds were the result of flying metal. During their service, many of the 331,781 AIF troops and medical staff were injured more than once: over 50% were hit by shell fragments or shrapnel bullets from artillery fire.
Why were hospitals important in England?
Hospitals in Britain. Hospitals in England were important for both the medical treatment of troops and the communities they fostered. The AIF's No. 1 Auxiliary Hospital, set up in the stately Harefield House, brimmed with life amongst the bodies devastated by war.
What are the things that can be found in war records?
lack of sleep. exposure to cold. contact with mice, rats, fleas, lice and other parasites. When accessing a person's war service records, you can usually see how many times they were treated in a medical facility.
What were the health problems of the soldiers?
Unhealthy living conditions for soldiers (and sailors) included: poor diet. lack of sleep. exposure to cold.
Who was the Australian commander who visited Harefield?
General William Birdwood, the Australians' Commander, visited Harefield in 1916 with his wife and family. In the same style that endeared him to the troops at Gallipoli, he visited every Australian patient to ask how they were. His visit lifted the 'diggers' spirits immensely.
Why was Alex Orum dismissed from the army?
Alex Orum, pictured with his wife Donna, was diagnosed with PTSD. He was dismissed from the Army earlier this year for "patterns of misconduct" — such as showing up late to formation and coming to work unwashed. Psychiatrists say such behaviors are consistent with PTSD. Daniel Zwerdling, NPR hide caption.
What is PTSD in the world?
PTSD is a normal human response to witnessing or experiencing violence and feeling intense fear, horror, and helplessness. War is condoned violence. If everyone condoned peace, we could rid this world of war.
How long have military terms been used?
This is a list of established military terms which have been in use for at least 50 years. Since technology and doctrine have changed over time, not all of them are in current use, or they may have been superseded by more modern terms. However, they are still in current use in articles about previous military periods.
What is an encirclement in military?
Encirclement: surrounding enemy forces on all sides, isolating them. Enfilade: a unit (or position) is "enfiladed" when enemy fire can be directed along the long axis of the unit. For instance, a trench is enfiladed if the enemy can fire down the length of the trench.
What is the line of fortifications built by the attackers around the besieged fortification facing towards
Circumvallation : a line of fortifications built by the attackers around the besieged fortification facing towards it. Contravallation: a second line of fortifications behind the circumvallation facing away from the enemy fort to protect the besiegers from attacks by allies of the besieged.
What is the purpose of the shoot and scoot tactic?
Shoot and scoot: a type of fire-and-movement tactic used by artillery to avoid counter-battery fire. Siege: a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by force or attrition, often accompanied by an assault in the later phase.
What is a salient in a fortified line?
Salients: a pocket or "bulge" in a fortified or battle line. The enemy's line facing a salient is referred to as a "re-entrant". Scorched earth: the deliberate destruction of resources in order to deny their use to the enemy. Scuttlebutt: For gossip or water foutain.
What is guerrilla tactics?
Guerrilla tactics: attacking the enemy and the subsequent breaking off of contact and retreating; also referred to as "hit-and-run tactics". Hors de combat: a unit out of the fight, surrendered, wounded (when incapacitated), and so on. Infantry square, pike square, or schiltron. Infiltration.
What is a file in the army?
File: a single column of soldiers. Flanking maneuver: to attack an enemy or an enemy unit from the side, or to maneuver to do so. Forlorn hope: a band of soldiers or other combatants chosen to take the leading part in a military operation, such as an assault on a defended position, where the risk of casualties is high.
care home
a home for people who need continuous medical treatment or who are unable to look after themselves, especially people who are old or mentally ill
day care
British care given during the day to people who need special help, for example because they are old or disabled
day centre
a place where care is given during the day to people who need special help, for example because they are old or disabled
general hospital
a hospital that can treat most people and that does not limit itself to one particular type of medical problem
halfway house
a temporary place to live for people who have spent a long time somewhere such as a prison or psychiatric hospital
hospital
a place where people stay when they are ill or injured and need a lot of care from doctors and nurses
institution
a hospital or other building where people are looked after for a long time, for example if they are disabled or mentally ill
Why did the Army hire Ranger Doctors?
The Army "brought in Ranger doctors, Special Forces physician assistants and others at the height of the war to assimilate rapidly vital after-action reports from divisions and brigade combat teams...to make the combat medic training program such a huge success for our Army and our Soldiers in need," McVeigh said.
How many levels of medical care does the Army provide?
The Army employs five levels of medical care to treat injured or sick military personnel, extending from the forward edge of the battle to the continental United States, with each level providing progressively more intensive treatment. Since 2001, Army medical leaders reengineered combat trauma care, stressing rapid turnaround, ...
What is medical evacuation policy?
New medical evacuation policies are expediting Soldiers to treatment facilities faster and in better medical condition, reinforcing our commitment to the best and most timely care, said McVeigh, who was in Iraq from October 2009 to May 2010, and ran the Army's combat medic training program from 2003 to 2005.
Can wounded warriors survive on the battlefield?
Without these medics, wounded warriors would never survive to get off the battlefield. "Second, continuous improvements in doctrine and procedures for evacuating off the battlefield-putting critical care nurses in the back of helicopters, providing hypothermia prevention kits, and overflying levels of care to get to the best location to care ...
Is gold rare in the army?
Gold and platinum aren't rare elements on today's front lines. Army doctors, nurses and medics are measuring the speeds of battlefield care in a "golden hour" and a few "platinum minutes" daily in Iraq and Afghanistan. Controlling bleeding in those vital minutes after a Soldier is wounded and rapid evacuation from the point ...
What was the system of ferrying wounded soldiers from the brigade hospitals to the general hospitals?
At first the system proved to be insufficient and many soldiers were dying in mobile hospitals at the front and could not be transported to the general hospitals for needed care.
Who was the first medical director of the army?
McClellan appointed the first medical director of the army, surgeon Charles S. Tripler, on August 12, 1861. Tripler created plans to enlist regimental surgeons to travel with armies in the field, and the creation of general hospitals for the badly wounded to be taken to for recovery and further treatment.
Why were the army so small?
Before the Civil War, armies tended to be small, largely because of the logistics of supply and training. Musket fire, well known for its inaccuracy, kept casualty rates lower than they might have been. The advent of railroads, industrial production, and canned food allowed for much larger armies, and the Minié ball rifle brought about much higher casualty rates. The work of Florence Nightingale in the Crimean War brought the deplorable situation of military hospitals to the public attention, although reforms were often slow in coming.
How many horses did the Union Ambulance carry?
With new designs the common Union ambulance was now composed of a 750 lb wagon that was powered by 2–4 horses and was made to carry 2–6 wounded soldiers.
What was the circular method of wound healing?
The circular method was a circular cut that only allowed a flap of surface skin to cover the wound. The flap method was more likely than the circular method to lead to gangrene, as the deep muscle tissue suffered from lack of circulation. Approximately 30,000 amputations were performed during the Civil War.
What was the state of medical knowledge at the time of the Civil War?
Medicine in the American Civil War. The state of medical knowledge at the time of the Civil War was extremely primitive . Doctors did not understand infection, and did little to prevent it. It was a time before antiseptics, and a time when there was no attempt to maintain sterility during surgery.
Who founded the American Red Cross?
Based on their experiences in the war, many veterans went on to develop high standards for medical care and new medicines. The modern pharmaceutical industry began developing in the decades after the war. Colonel Eli Lilly had been a pharmacist; he built a pharmaceutical empire after the war. Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross to provide civilian nursing services in wartime.

Illnesses and Devastating Injuries
- The Australian Government recorded 215,585 casualties during the war. Over 80% of those casualties occurred on the Western Front, in Belgium and France. The weapons used in trench warfare created horrendous injuries for both sides in the war. In the Australian Imperial Force (AIF), for example, most wounds were the result of flying metal. During their service, many of th…
Triage For The Wounded
- As the war progressed, the British Army devised a complex triage. Triage is the practice of sorting casualties (sick and wounded people) into categories of priority for treatment, and it's still used in hospitals today. This new transport and assessment system meant that soldiers could be treated by medical staff as fast as possible. The wounded were sorted and moved along a medical chai…
Hospitals
- General hospitals
Wounded men were transported to military hospitals, where doctors and nurses would care for around 1000 patients at a time. Men remained in hospital until they could be returned to their unit or evacuated to Britain. - Hospital ships
Most seriously wounded soldiers were evacuated by hospital ship to England. They could undergo months of treatment and recovery. Some would return to the battlefield.
Outcomes For Patients
- Some wounded men were: 1. returned to their units in the fields when they recovered 2. sent to a convalescent depot for further recovery 3. transported to hospitals in Britain for specialised care 4. repatriated home to Australiaif they were not fit to serve Men who were missing arms or legs, blinded or maimed, or badly shell-shocked eventually returned to Australia. They were discharge…
Egypt at The Start of The War
- When the AIF arrived in Egypt in December 1914, it brought five complete units of the Australian Army Medical Corps, fully equipped. These facilities supplemented: 1. two British Army hospitals - at the Citadel in Cairo and at Ras-el-Tin in Alexandria 2. three East Lancashire field ambulances 3. two British Indian general hospitals and extra field ambulances 4. New Zealand Imperial Force …
Lemnos During The Gallipoli Campaign
- On the Greek Island of Lemnos, a small medical facility at West Mudroustook light casualty cases from Gallipoli. From the August Offensive onwards, the medical staff were flooded with causalities. The centre was scaled up as an intermediate military medical base, including: 1. No. 3 Australian General Hospital 2. No. 2 Australian Stationary Hospital 3. British and Canadian medi…