Page 142 - JSOM Summer 2019

advanced practitioners and clinical/operational decision-mak- British experience, it is unfortunate that there is not more
ing; the main outcomes of the challenges and benefits of having presented evidence of the collaboration with partner nations
deployed medical command/medical director are outlined in on battlefield medicine. The combined efforts of the US De-
detail. partment of Defense and multiple NATO nations with British
Forces is remarkable, and the shared experience of warfighting
The breakdown of enemy weapon systems and wounding and deployments must not be overlooked. Indeed, the sharing
chapter not only highlights the unconventional kinetic threats of these lessons and the cross-pollination of expertise to save
in these conflicts but also reveals how data-driven decisions life can be a force multiplier across the NATO alliance and
are made for personal protective equipment and innovation. throughout strategic partnerships.
The surface wound mapping system gleaned from the trauma
registry has supported the evolution of personal protective One thing is certain after reading this encyclopedic and ex-
equipment for British Forces. haustive account of the British military medical experiences
in Iraq and Afghanistan—the many lives lost have not been in
One small criticism I must offer is that despite all of these vain and their loss has catapulted trauma and battlefield care
excellent advancements and shared lessons learned from the to save life.

140 | JSOM Volume 19, Edition 2 / Summer 2019