Page 144 - JSOM Winter 2017
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aving lives and eliminating preventable deaths among US This issue of the JSOM contains another letter from the
Scombat casualties is the primary objective of the Depart- Commander of the US Central Command, now General Jo-
ment of Defense’s combat casualty care efforts. Because the seph Votel, that once again highlights the requirement for all
vast majority of combat fatalities occur before the casualty medical providers—physicians, physician assistants, nurses,
ever reaches a medical treatment facility and the care of a sur- medics, corpsmen, and PJs—to complete the Joint Trauma
geon, optimizing the training and delivery of Tactical Com- System’s TCCC for Medical Personnel course before deploying
bat Casualty Care (TCCC)—the US Military’s remarkably to CENTCOM. All other personnel deploying to CENTCOM
successful battlefield trauma care program—is paramount in are required to take the TCCC course designed for non- medical
reducing preventable deaths. Military units that have trained combatants as part of their pre-deployment preparation.
all of their members on TCCC have documented the lowest
incidence of preventable deaths among their combat casualties It is worthy of note that General Votel was the same leader
in the history of modern warfare. who propagated the requirement for TCCC training at the
75th Ranger Regiment as the regimental commander prior
Despite the critical importance of TCCC, its adoption and im- to and during initial combat operations into Afghanistan in
plementation as the standard for prehospital combat trauma 2001. His leadership, his predecessors in command, and the
care throughout the Department of Defense have thus far been superb medical cadre at the regiment have all contributed to
inconsistent. Secretary of Defense James Mattis emphasized making the 75th Ranger Regiment synonymous with excel-
the importance of TCCC in a letter to the Service Chiefs on 18 lence in TCCC and lives saved on the battlefield.
January 2013, written while he was the Commander of the US
Central Command.
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