The United States Army has strived to stay ahead of battlefield threats in any and all operational environments. Given the increased casualty rates directly correlated to Operations Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, the need for immediate casualty communication is paramount.

Mitigating factors in any combat environment complicate the initial and post immediate trauma care and the Army’s efforts attempting to fight those shortfalls. Because of this, the Army is bringing modernization to the casualty care of soldiers on the battlefield. The ability to instantaneously share information about a wounded individual can provide surgical teams and trauma care specialists precious seconds of life-saving time. The United States Army’s Military Combat Casualty Care Communications (MC4) program is a model for all services and nations.

MC4 encompasses lifetime electronic health records for those who are forward deployed, which enables streamlined medical processes and function. Incorporation of pre-deployment, deployment and post-deployment medical records permits medical screening for battlefield related injuries including MBTI, PTSD and other unseen injuries. To combat the long-term care faults of past military conflicts, the U.S. Army is taking proactive steps to learn from past mistakes.

LTC William Geesey is the Program Manager for MC4 and has seen the development, growth and fielding of both combat theatres and the MC4 programs successes. Originally in the Infantry, LTC Geesey knows the challenges faced by front line soldiers who make sacrifices daily. His program has made great strides to improve-post deployment healthcare and enable soldiers abroad to have luxuries in their medical care that had never been seen.