The Application of Operational Art to Health Service Support: A Case Study of the Korean and Vietnam Wars

Abstract

Health Service Support (HSS) planners have endured static healthcare operations over the last 15 years during operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. As training centers have refocused evaluating units on decisive action, observer controllers have noticed a skill gap in the ability of units to plan HSS operations in these rapidly changing combat environments. This paper proposes that an analysis of the difference between the conduct of HSS operations during the opening six months of the Korean War, contrasted with the stable HSS operations in the Vietnam War, would provide insight in to how to successfully conduct HSS operations during maneuver warfare in future conflicts. This analysis is conducted utilizing three elements of operational art: operational reach, basing, and risk. The Korean and Vietnam Wars are analyzed as case studies using a structured focus question comparison. These focus questions center on four elements of HSS operations: medical mission command, medical evacuation, patient regulation, and medical logistics. The primary finding of the research is surprising, and contradicts one of the three proposed hypotheses. In fact, HSS operations were not well planned out during the Korean War due to no forethought for execution of operations on the Korean peninsula when war was declared. This resulted in a HSS operation that was constantly reacting to crises and competing for resources in an interwoven logistics system. This was compounded by a lack of organic medical command headquarters, an independent system of medical logistics, and dedicated aerial medical evacuation resources. In contrast, medical operations in Vietnam were much more successful because of HSS plans that contained these traits. The takeaway is that for HSS planning, having an organic medical mission command structure with dedicated medical functions and expertise throughout the continuum of care from injury to CONUS results in the most successful HSS operations.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 25, 2017
Accession Number
AD1038941

Entities

People

  • Brian M. Downs

Organizations

  • United States Army Command and General Staff College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Amphibious Operations
  • Combat Casualty Care
  • Combat Injuries
  • Contingency Operations (Military)
  • Employment
  • Health Services
  • Hospitals
  • Logistics
  • Medical Evacuation
  • Medical Personnel
  • Military History
  • Military Hospitals
  • Military Operations
  • Patient Care
  • Personnel Management
  • Therapy
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Irregular Warfare and Special Operations Cyberspace Operations against Adversarial Threats.
  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.
  • Trauma or Military Medicine