Military Medicine in Low Intensity Conflict: A Strategic Analysis

Abstract

Military medical personnel and units have participated and will continue to participate in U.S. low intensity conflict (LIC) operations. Previous missions have included care of U.S. personnel, training of host nation medical personnel, disaster medicine during peacetime contingency operations, and , most frequently, medical humanitarian/civic action. U.S. efforts in this area have suffered from the lack of a coherent strategy for using military medicine in LIC. This paper begins with an analysis of the pressures which lead to involvement of military medicine in LIC. The defined ends to which military medicine is directed in LIC are presented followed by the ways in which it contributes to those ends and the means by which operations are conducted. Guidelines for successful military medicine operations in LIC are also detailed. The author proposes a range of new organizations and personnel specialties to strengthen military medicine's contribution to LIC operations and doctrine.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 1991
Accession Number
ADA233562

Entities

People

  • James W. Kirkpatrick

Organizations

  • United States Army War College

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Contingency Operations (Military)
  • Doctrine
  • Governments
  • Health Care
  • Health Services
  • Medical Personnel
  • Military Hospitals
  • Military Medicine
  • Military Science
  • National Security
  • Psychological Operations
  • Strategic Analysis
  • Students
  • Therapy
  • United States
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Fields of Study

  • Medicine

Readers

  • East Asian Political and Security Studies within the Soviet Union
  • Irregular Warfare and Special Operations Cyberspace Operations against Adversarial Threats.
  • Medical or Health Care Field.