Air Force Community - Air Force Times

Medical staffs attack unique problems that can change wars

Together with our surgeons general, I am learning how we can better train our medical personnel to prevent and treat the physical and mental injuries of combat, and to help war-torn people care for their own.

These tasks, together with our humanitarian relief following disasters, such as the earthquake in Peru and the cyclone in Myanmar, and our efforts to prevent and respond to epidemics in Asia and Africa, challenge our military medical personnel’s fortitude and measure their devotion to duty.

Our doctors are far from their loving families, but they have the company of young medics and corpsmen who answer the call of “Corpsman up!” with a prayer and a dash to save a life that has, in some 170 instances in these wars, cost them their own.

Their courage is a different sort: exposure to infections, toxins and bombs, yes, but more importantly, they make life-and-death medical decisions and weigh the medical issues of the patient and the mission. This is the courage that George Washington showed when he vaccinated his troops against smallpox.

They are challenged to lead with wisdom, an understanding of people and, increasingly, with their ability to innovate and communicate.

These traits mark our medical personnel leaders, enabling them to transcend medical technology and play a critical role in preventing crisis from erupting into conflict.

They face — and most of them met — challenges unknown to civilian medical practitioners. But this prepares them to lead in the world of medicine or, rather, in the medicine of the world, when they conclude their military careers.

Many of those who serve in uniform and medicine may distinguish themselves as “doers,” many as teachers, and all as leaders by example. Some may follow the path of the 17 former service members who have won the Nobel Prize in medicine.

Recalling that only a few years ago Soviet soldiers were driven from Afghanistan more by preventable diseases than by rockets, these individuals quickly make decisions that change the course of an epidemic or of a war.

To all in uniform who care for our service members, I say: Catch your breath now and accept from me the thanks of our surgeons general and the secretary of defense.

Then continue to lead by serving those who guard our families and our freedom.

Col. (Dr.) S. Ward Casscells

Assistant secretary of defense for health affairs