CASEVAC
Encyclopedia
Casualty evacuation, also known as CASEVAC or by the callsign Dustoff, is a military term for the emergency patient evacuation of casualties
from a combat zone. Casevac can be done by both ground and air. Casevacs by air today are almost exclusively done by helicopter, a practice begun on a small scale toward the end of World War II
; before that, STOL
aircraft, such as the Fieseler Fi 156
or Piper J-3
were used. Casevac aircraft are a non standardized and non dedicated vehicle, that does not necessarily have en route care which is used to get a casualty back to another location where they can be treated by professional medical staff.
The primary difference between a CASEVAC and a medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) is that a MEDEVAC uses a standardized and dedicated vehicle providing en route care. On the other hand, CASEVAC uses non standardized and non dedicated vehicles that do not provide en route care. The service exists to transport casualties that are in dire need for evacuation from the battlefield and do not have time to wait on a MEDEVAC, or where a MEDEVAC is unable to get to the casualty. MEDEVAC aircraft and ground transport are mandated by the Geneva Convention to be unarmed and well marked. Firing on "clearly marked and identified" MEDEVAC vehicles would be considered a war crime under Article II of the Geneva Convention, in the same sense as firing on a Hospital Ship
would be a war crime
. CASEVAC transport are allowed to be armed since they are normally used for other purposes but carry no penalties for engagement by hostile forces. So in a sense, MEDEVAC transports are dedicated aircraft to transport causalities, CASEVAC is any transport used to move battlefield casualties.
"Dust Off" was the tactical call sign for medical evacuation missions first used in 1963 by Major Lloyd E. Spencer, Commander of the U. S. Army 57th Medical Detachment (Helicopter Ambulance). The name lasted the rest of the war. Typically Air ambulances would lift wounded soldiers to a hospital setting in less than an hour after being wounded. Flying into an active landing zone to pick up wounded was a dangerous job. Peter Dorland and James Nanney wrote in Dust Off: Army Aeromedical Evacuation in Vietnam, ". . .slightly more a third of the aviators became casualties in their work, and the crew chiefs and medical corpsmen who accompanied them suffered similarly. The danger of their work was further borne out by the high rate of air ambulance loss to hostile fire: 3.3 times that of all other forms of helicopter missions in the Vietnam War."
All members of the US Armed Forces today are trained in some form of basic first aid. While lacking advanced life saving equipment and medical personnel in regular vehicles, all personnel today enter the combat zone with an Improved First Aid Kit (I.F.A.K) on their equipment. The I.F.A.K has basic medical supplies such as bandages, a tourniquet
, and QuikClot gauze. Most units have stretchers and burn blankets in their vehicles.
In the U.S. Military, the highest level of medical care available when being transported by a CASEVAC vehicle is from U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsmen. These personnel are trained to stabilize patients during the most common combat related life-threatening situations, such as tension pneumothorax or severe bleeding. Corpsmen lack equipment and training for any unusual or complex medical emergencies but are trained to stabilize their patients until they reach a shock trauma unit or CASH. Lately (beginning in Iraq 2004) the conditions of Casevacs have improved tremendously as the Marines and Navy Corpsmen have included intensive care flight nurses and or flight surgeons on some flights to complement the treatment of the patients. Casevac's taken over most of the point-of-injury emergency transports (Casevac). Marines and Corpsmen have created dedicated units such as HMM-161 to perform the Casevac missions as well as their usual tasks. A large percentage of Marines and soldiers in the U.S. Military are trained to be combat lifesavers.
Soldiers can now be remotely monitored using sensors built into their shirts or by wearing a fabric belt around their chest Remote Physiological Monitoring
. This type of system can transmit the vital signs and physical status ( laying down, walking, running) to a remote medic.
In Australian military terminology, a CASEVAC refers to the evacuation of a small number of troops, usually just one.
Casualty (person)
A casualty is a person who is the victim of an accident, injury, or trauma. The word casualties is most often used by the news media to describe deaths and injuries resulting from wars or disasters...
from a combat zone. Casevac can be done by both ground and air. Casevacs by air today are almost exclusively done by helicopter, a practice begun on a small scale toward the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
; before that, STOL
STOL
STOL is an acronym for short take-off and landing, a term used to describe aircraft with very short runway requirements.-Definitions:There is no one accepted definition of STOL and many different definitions have been used by different authorities and nations at various times and for a myriad of...
aircraft, such as the Fieseler Fi 156
Fieseler Fi 156
The Fieseler Fi 156 Storch was a small German liaison aircraft built by Fieseler before and during World War II, and production continued in other countries into the 1950s for the private market...
or Piper J-3
Piper J-3
The Piper J-3 Cub is a small, simple, light aircraft that was built between 1937 and 1947 by Piper Aircraft. With tandem seating, it was intended for flight training but became one of the most popular and best-known light aircraft of all time...
were used. Casevac aircraft are a non standardized and non dedicated vehicle, that does not necessarily have en route care which is used to get a casualty back to another location where they can be treated by professional medical staff.
The primary difference between a CASEVAC and a medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) is that a MEDEVAC uses a standardized and dedicated vehicle providing en route care. On the other hand, CASEVAC uses non standardized and non dedicated vehicles that do not provide en route care. The service exists to transport casualties that are in dire need for evacuation from the battlefield and do not have time to wait on a MEDEVAC, or where a MEDEVAC is unable to get to the casualty. MEDEVAC aircraft and ground transport are mandated by the Geneva Convention to be unarmed and well marked. Firing on "clearly marked and identified" MEDEVAC vehicles would be considered a war crime under Article II of the Geneva Convention, in the same sense as firing on a Hospital Ship
Hospital ship
A hospital ship is a ship designated for primary function as a floating medical treatment facility or hospital; most are operated by the military forces of various countries, as they are intended to be used in or near war zones....
would be a war crime
War crime
War crimes are serious violations of the laws applicable in armed conflict giving rise to individual criminal responsibility...
. CASEVAC transport are allowed to be armed since they are normally used for other purposes but carry no penalties for engagement by hostile forces. So in a sense, MEDEVAC transports are dedicated aircraft to transport causalities, CASEVAC is any transport used to move battlefield casualties.
"Dust Off" was the tactical call sign for medical evacuation missions first used in 1963 by Major Lloyd E. Spencer, Commander of the U. S. Army 57th Medical Detachment (Helicopter Ambulance). The name lasted the rest of the war. Typically Air ambulances would lift wounded soldiers to a hospital setting in less than an hour after being wounded. Flying into an active landing zone to pick up wounded was a dangerous job. Peter Dorland and James Nanney wrote in Dust Off: Army Aeromedical Evacuation in Vietnam, ". . .slightly more a third of the aviators became casualties in their work, and the crew chiefs and medical corpsmen who accompanied them suffered similarly. The danger of their work was further borne out by the high rate of air ambulance loss to hostile fire: 3.3 times that of all other forms of helicopter missions in the Vietnam War."
All members of the US Armed Forces today are trained in some form of basic first aid. While lacking advanced life saving equipment and medical personnel in regular vehicles, all personnel today enter the combat zone with an Improved First Aid Kit (I.F.A.K) on their equipment. The I.F.A.K has basic medical supplies such as bandages, a tourniquet
Tourniquet
An emergency tourniquet is a tightly tied band applied around a body part sometimes used in an attempt to stop severe traumatic bleeding. Tourniquets are also used during venipuncture and other medical procedures. Severe bleeding means the loss of more than 1,000 ml of blood. This flow of blood...
, and QuikClot gauze. Most units have stretchers and burn blankets in their vehicles.
In the U.S. Military, the highest level of medical care available when being transported by a CASEVAC vehicle is from U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsmen. These personnel are trained to stabilize patients during the most common combat related life-threatening situations, such as tension pneumothorax or severe bleeding. Corpsmen lack equipment and training for any unusual or complex medical emergencies but are trained to stabilize their patients until they reach a shock trauma unit or CASH. Lately (beginning in Iraq 2004) the conditions of Casevacs have improved tremendously as the Marines and Navy Corpsmen have included intensive care flight nurses and or flight surgeons on some flights to complement the treatment of the patients. Casevac's taken over most of the point-of-injury emergency transports (Casevac). Marines and Corpsmen have created dedicated units such as HMM-161 to perform the Casevac missions as well as their usual tasks. A large percentage of Marines and soldiers in the U.S. Military are trained to be combat lifesavers.
Soldiers can now be remotely monitored using sensors built into their shirts or by wearing a fabric belt around their chest Remote Physiological Monitoring
Remote physiological monitoring
Remote monitoring of people is now a possibility due to remote wireless technology and miniaturization. Also the advent of smart fabrics in recent years has allowed people to stay attached to monitoring devices without the issues of discomfort, large bulky technology or skin break down associated...
. This type of system can transmit the vital signs and physical status ( laying down, walking, running) to a remote medic.
In Australian military terminology, a CASEVAC refers to the evacuation of a small number of troops, usually just one.
See also
- Aeromedical EvacuationAeromedical evacuationAeromedical Evacuation usually refers to specialized medical transportation units in the United States Air Force. Within the U.S. Air Force, AE is coordinated by Air Mobility Command located at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois...
- Air AmbulanceAir ambulanceAn air ambulance is an aircraft used for emergency medical assistance in situations where either a traditional ambulance cannot reach the scene easily or quickly enough, or the patient needs to be transported over a distance or terrain that makes air transportation the most practical transport....
- Medical evacuation