Medical Support in Military Operations Other Than War

Abstract

The use of our forces in Military Operations Other than War (MOOTW), especially in the humanitarian assistance context, has been an ongoing debate. The medical support to these operations by the Department of Defense (DOD) Health Service Support (HSS) system has also received some criticism. One of the arguments is that HSS personnel are not trained and equipped to carry out these missions. The DOD HSS system's mission is to provide peacetime and combat casualty care to essentially healthy, young military adults. The focus of this paper is the challenges that the HSS system must face in order to plan and execute MOOTW missions properly. The paper will examine the doctrine that provides guidance for the planning and execution of those missions. It will also look at the medical aspects of recent operations, particularly those in the Balkans, Haiti, and Somalia. Particular attention will be paid to issues such as command and control relationships, coalition operations, variations in medical care, mission expansion, and operating under austere conditions. Finally, recommendations for improvement will be made based on these evaluations.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 10, 2001
Accession Number
ADA390626

Entities

People

  • Montgomery Hinkson

Organizations

  • United States Army War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Combat Casualty Care
  • Employment
  • Health Care
  • Health Services
  • Hospitals
  • Joint Military Activities
  • Lessons Learned
  • Medical Evacuation
  • Medical Personnel
  • Military Hospitals
  • Military Personnel
  • Military Science
  • National Security
  • Therapy
  • War Colleges

Readers

  • Military and Counterinsurgency Studies.
  • Theoretical Analysis.
  • Trauma or Military Medicine

Technology Areas

  • Fully Networked C3
  • Fully Networked C3 - Command and Control