"Western troops may face deadlier fights in future wars. If helicopters can't fly medevac flights, the US Army's fallback for treating the wounded is a World War I approach: using soldiers as "walking blood banks." During a recent exercise on a German hillside, the Army and its allies and partners simulated enemy artilleryfire that resulted in tremendous soldier casualties. Without air superiority for flying evacuations for the injured or bringing in needed supplies, life-saving treatment had to be done right near the fight."
"Front-line Army medical personnel practiced an old tactic making a comeback, with troops lining up to give blood directly to the wounded right on the battlefield.In this situation, blood transfusions were done with donations from soldiers who were pre-screened and prepared to donate blood on the fly. The exercise saw US soldiers from the 2nd Cavalry Regiment and 1st Armored Division Combat Aviation Brigade training to provide prolonged care in the field, a necessity in situations like the Ukraine war, or potential future conflicts, where contested air makes it difficult to move injured troops off the battlefield for trauma care in the critical " golden hour" window."
The exercise tested using soldiers as on-site blood donors when medevac flights and resupply are denied. Troops practiced lining up to give blood directly to wounded comrades near active fire, using pre-screened donors for immediate transfusions. Units including the 2nd Cavalry Regiment and the 1st Armored Division Combat Aviation Brigade trained to provide prolonged field care when evacuation within the golden hour is impossible. The approach revives the World War I "walking blood bank" concept to maintain lifesaving capabilities in contested-air environments similar to scenarios seen in Ukraine and potential future conflicts.
Read at Business Insider
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