Medical Service Corps Leader Development

09/28/2021

Improving Casualty Evacuation for our next Decisive Action Fight

U.S. Army Casualty Evacuation (CASEVAC) skills have atrophied. After almost 20 years of overlapping Air Medical Evacuation (MEDEVAC) rings, many leaders have neglected training the movement from point of injury to the Casualty Collection Point (CCP). Current trends at National Training Center/Fort Irwin have a 49% died of wounds (DoW) rate. While a decisive action (DA) fight will produce more casualties than we have seen in recent wars, this rate is astronomical. This article by then CPT David Draper addresses trends, reviews doctrine, and provides tips to improve CASEVAC in a DA fight.

CASEVAC Techniques that Work:

- The 1SG must supervise the CASEVAC plan.

- Designate CASEVAC vehicles with litters, litter straps, and Combat Life Saver (CLS) equipment and stage them with medics and CLS at the CCP.

- Quickly push or pull casualties to the CCP using dedicated aid and litter teams.

- Use a CASEVAC/MEDEVAC concept sketch to create shared understanding.

How to Prepare Your Unit:

- Conduct CASEVAC training as part of unit training plans.

- Establish company and battalion CASEVAC SOPs.

- Incorporate CASEVAC into all training: PT, gunnery, live-fire, situational training exercise (STX), and field training exercise (FTX).

A 49-percent average DoW rate for urgent and priority patients, as currently observed at NTC, is not acceptable. Invest in training CLS, CASEVAC, and MEDEVAC skills to reduce preventable deaths.

Read the whole article from ARMOR magazine here: https://www.benning.army.mil/armor/eARMOR/content/issues/2017/Fall/4Draper17.pdf?fbclid=IwAR3yaAa0BYd3dEOmcS0NiHtNys3FZ29kOFwxXqghopdmSG4ndx6FvGpdYdI

09/27/2021

Problem Framing - Innovation Tool Kit

Sometimes the way we look at a problem is the problem.

We are faced with problems every day. Some can be fixed with your intervention and experience. Others require a deeper understanding and strategy to fix.

The problem framing canvas (https://itk.mitre.org/toolkit-tools/problem-framing/) can help you and your team define the problem to ensure you are solving the right one.

How to do it?

STEP 1
Use the canvas by yourself or in a group. Doing some quick research to collect any necessary information, statistics, or data may be helpful prior to or during the activity.

STEP 2
Begin in the upper left corner and capture some words about the problem area.

STEP 3
Work through the remaining boxes on the canvas and return to the first box throughout the process as your understanding of the problem develops. Feel free to skip any questions that do not seem to apply.

STEP 4
Use your inputs to build a problem statement in the bottom box and turn it into an actionable “How might we…” question.

QUESTION BANK Use these additional questions to help guide the problem framing discussion.

What is the scope? How can we expand the scope?
What are the elements of the problem? (Physical, social, emotional, professional, primary, secondary)
What prevents/ hinders/ blocks other attempts, or groups, at solving this problem?
What are we avoiding when looking at or solving this problem?
What are the stigmas associated with this problem? Is there a stigma we’re trying to avoid?
What are the concerns or worries others may have about this problem?
What is unspoken about this problem?
What language or vocabulary do we not have and need to establish?
Who denies that this is a problem?
How does the environment or surrounding “landscape” impact this problem? What historical contexts may be influencing or biasing (our view on) this problem?
How are we making time to do the work that needs to be done to ensure we are designing equitably?
Whose perspective or experience isn’t captured yet? Who doesn’t immediately come to mind but also has this problem?
What types of inequities (uneven distribution or imbalance) exist in this problem? Power, financial, access, etc.

Use this tool to help your team solve problems.

Army Medicine
Brooke Army Medical Center
Womack Army Medical Center
Madigan Army Medical Center
Tripler Army Medical Center
Eisenhower Army Medical Center
30th Medical Brigade
44th Medical Brigade
1st Medical Brigade
62nd Medical Brigade
65th Medical Brigade

Problem Framing - Innovation Tool Kit

Sometimes the way we look at a problem is the problem.

We are faced with problems every day. Some can be fixed with your intervention and experience. Others require a deeper understanding and strategy to fix.

The problem framing canvas (https://itk.mitre.org/toolkit-tools/problem-framing/) can help you and your team define the problem to ensure you are solving the right one.

How to do it?

STEP 1
Use the canvas by yourself or in a group. Doing some quick research to collect any necessary information, statistics, or data may be helpful prior to or during the activity.

STEP 2
Begin in the upper left corner and capture some words about the problem area.

STEP 3
Work through the remaining boxes on the canvas and return to the first box throughout the process as your understanding of the problem develops. Feel free to skip any questions that do not seem to apply.

STEP 4
Use your inputs to build a problem statement in the bottom box and turn it into an actionable “How might we…” question.

QUESTION BANK Use these additional questions to help guide the problem framing discussion.

What is the scope? How can we expand the scope?
What are the elements of the problem? (Physical, social, emotional, professional, primary, secondary)
What prevents/ hinders/ blocks other attempts, or groups, at solving this problem?
What are we avoiding when looking at or solving this problem?
What are the stigmas associated with this problem? Is there a stigma we’re trying to avoid?
What are the concerns or worries others may have about this problem?
What is unspoken about this problem?
What language or vocabulary do we not have and need to establish?
Who denies that this is a problem?
How does the environment or surrounding “landscape” impact this problem? What historical contexts may be influencing or biasing (our view on) this problem?
How are we making time to do the work that needs to be done to ensure we are designing equitably?
Whose perspective or experience isn’t captured yet? Who doesn’t immediately come to mind but also has this problem?
What types of inequities (uneven distribution or imbalance) exist in this problem? Power, financial, access, etc.

Use this tool to help your team solve problems.

Army Medicine
Brooke Army Medical Center
Womack Army Medical Center
Madigan Army Medical Center
Tripler Army Medical Center
Eisenhower Army Medical Center
30th Medical Brigade
44th Medical Brigade
1st Medical Brigade
62nd Medical Brigade
65th Medical Brigade

09/25/2021

“The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint to keep from meddling with them while they do it.” – Theodore Roosevelt

09/24/2021

Overcoming Complexity through Collaboration and Follower-Based Leadership

"To succeed in complex environments, military leaders must change their leadership from a leader-centric to a more follower-centric model to enable dialogue, organizational learning, and collaborative decision-making."
- Gary M. Klein

This post from The Small Wars Journal discusses ways organizations should think about leadership and how to address complexity in strategies and problem sets.

How do organizations succeed in complex environments?
- Identify cause-and-effect relationships
- Remain adaptive
- Embrace experimentation
- Collaborate

Leadership, Followership, and Collaboration
- Army leadership is, by doctrine, 'leader-centric'
- Followership can contribute much more than loyalty, subordination, and respect
- Followership should enable dialogue and collaboration

Enable Collaboration by Flattening Organizational Structures through setting 3 Conditions:
- Transparency
- Teach Soldiers to think with a strategic mindset
- Increase the number of connections between leaders and Soldiers

Qualities of Good Followers:
- Demonstrate a greater commitment to the organization than an individual leader
- Exhibit awareness, critical thinking, moral courage, and diplomacy
- Share information freely

Does your organizational culture and structure nurture groupthink or collaborative dialogue? Is your unit adaptive? Why or why not?

Read the whole article here: https://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/overcoming-complexity-through-collaboration-and-follower-based-leadership?fbclid=IwAR3Mc41rX8Yri4CJJIR5XCqz-fg3IWrIxy6CiaT9T15JokPLOcT5_BarN_U

1st Medical Brigade 30th Medical Brigade U.S. Air Force Medical Service - AFMS 44th Medical Brigade 62nd Medical Brigade 65th Medical Brigade 807th Medical Command 3rd Armored Brigade Medical Company 1 Armoured Medical Regiment Command and General Staff College U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence Army Medicine

Overcoming Complexity through Collaboration and Follower-Based Leadership

"To succeed in complex environments, military leaders must change their leadership from a leader-centric to a more follower-centric model to enable dialogue, organizational learning, and collaborative decision-making."
- Gary M. Klein

This post from The Small Wars Journal discusses ways organizations should think about leadership and how to address complexity in strategies and problem sets.

How do organizations succeed in complex environments?
- Identify cause-and-effect relationships
- Remain adaptive
- Embrace experimentation
- Collaborate

Leadership, Followership, and Collaboration
- Army leadership is, by doctrine, 'leader-centric'
- Followership can contribute much more than loyalty, subordination, and respect
- Followership should enable dialogue and collaboration

Enable Collaboration by Flattening Organizational Structures through setting 3 Conditions:
- Transparency
- Teach Soldiers to think with a strategic mindset
- Increase the number of connections between leaders and Soldiers

Qualities of Good Followers:
- Demonstrate a greater commitment to the organization than an individual leader
- Exhibit awareness, critical thinking, moral courage, and diplomacy
- Share information freely

Does your organizational culture and structure nurture groupthink or collaborative dialogue? Is your unit adaptive? Why or why not?

Read the whole article here: https://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/overcoming-complexity-through-collaboration-and-follower-based-leadership?fbclid=IwAR3Mc41rX8Yri4CJJIR5XCqz-fg3IWrIxy6CiaT9T15JokPLOcT5_BarN_U

1st Medical Brigade 30th Medical Brigade U.S. Air Force Medical Service - AFMS 44th Medical Brigade 62nd Medical Brigade 65th Medical Brigade 807th Medical Command 3rd Armored Brigade Medical Company 1 Armoured Medical Regiment Command and General Staff College U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence Army Medicine

09/23/2021

How to Fail as a Major

"The transition to Major is less of a learning curve and more of a sheer cliff. There is less tolerance for officers who need to “grow into it,” and the expectation is you are value added on day one. Finally, the room for mistakes grows smaller and smaller."

Failure #1: "Believe Help is Coming"

Failure #2: "Burn Bridges and Fail to Cultivate and Maintain Relationships"

Failure #3: "Confusing Leadership and Management"

Failure #4: "Fail to Predict the Future"

What are some pitfalls or failures you would add to the list?

Read the entire article at: http://fieldgradeleader.themilitaryleader.com/wharton-fail/

How to Fail as a Major

"The transition to Major is less of a learning curve and more of a sheer cliff. There is less tolerance for officers who need to “grow into it,” and the expectation is you are value added on day one. Finally, the room for mistakes grows smaller and smaller."

Failure #1: "Believe Help is Coming"

Failure #2: "Burn Bridges and Fail to Cultivate and Maintain Relationships"

Failure #3: "Confusing Leadership and Management"

Failure #4: "Fail to Predict the Future"

What are some pitfalls or failures you would add to the list?

Read the entire article at: http://fieldgradeleader.themilitaryleader.com/wharton-fail/

09/22/2021

The ‘Golden Hour’: How the Afghan war brought advances in battlefield medicine

"Just what endures from the 20-year war is an open question, except in one area: Battlefield medicine.
One-handed tourniquets. Blood transfusions near the front lines. Faster evacuations to trauma centers. All got implemented in Afghanistan, and all saved lives."

From the Civil War to the Afghan War there’s hardly a corner of today’s health-care environment that doesn’t trace its roots back to the battlefield:

-Anesthesia has ties to the Civil War.
-World War I brought the first widespread use of X-rays.
-World War II was a proving ground for blood banks and antibiotics.
-Medical evacuation by helicopter started in the Korean War.

"The nature of the wounds in Afghanistan quickly made it clear that blood was needed at the point of injury. But blood is tricky to work with especially whole blood, which requires refrigeration. New techniques involving blood component therapy, and equipment for storing and transporting it, were put into place."

Read the entire article at this link: https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/military/story/2021-06-06/afghan-war-battlefield-medicine

U.S. Army Medical Department (AMEDD) U.S. Army Combined Arms Doctrine Directorate U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence 1st Medical Brigade 30th Medical Brigade 44th Medical Brigade 62nd Medical Brigade 65th Medical Brigade

The ‘Golden Hour’: How the Afghan war brought advances in battlefield medicine

"Just what endures from the 20-year war is an open question, except in one area: Battlefield medicine.
One-handed tourniquets. Blood transfusions near the front lines. Faster evacuations to trauma centers. All got implemented in Afghanistan, and all saved lives."

From the Civil War to the Afghan War there’s hardly a corner of today’s health-care environment that doesn’t trace its roots back to the battlefield:

-Anesthesia has ties to the Civil War.
-World War I brought the first widespread use of X-rays.
-World War II was a proving ground for blood banks and antibiotics.
-Medical evacuation by helicopter started in the Korean War.

"The nature of the wounds in Afghanistan quickly made it clear that blood was needed at the point of injury. But blood is tricky to work with especially whole blood, which requires refrigeration. New techniques involving blood component therapy, and equipment for storing and transporting it, were put into place."

Read the entire article at this link: https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/military/story/2021-06-06/afghan-war-battlefield-medicine

U.S. Army Medical Department (AMEDD) U.S. Army Combined Arms Doctrine Directorate U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence 1st Medical Brigade 30th Medical Brigade 44th Medical Brigade 62nd Medical Brigade 65th Medical Brigade

09/21/2021

Don't Be A Water Bucket Leader

Have you ever felt that despite a perpetual state of busyness, nothing seems to really ever change? Does it seem you are rewriting the same TACSOP again, you are not making the impact you envisioned, or the same mistakes are made at each rotation through JRTC, National Training Center/Fort Irwin, or your local field problem?

In this article From The Green Notebook, Joe Byerly defines a “water bucket” leader as someone whose leadership approach can be likened to sticking a hand into a bucket of water and creating a stir by splashing it around. Eventually, the leader pulls their hand out, and when they do, the water quickly returns to its original state. It’s as if they never existed. Even though there was a lot of activity, in the end, the bucket of water looks no different than it did before.

Water Bucket leadership is conducted by transactional leaders, or leaders who give followers what they want in exchange for something the leader wants. To move away from Water Bucket leadership, a shift from transactional to transformational leadership must occur. Transformational leadership is the process whereby a person engages with others and creates a connection that raises the level of motivation and morality in both the leader and the follower.

Transformational Leadership:
1. Idealized Influence
2. Inspirational Motivation
3. Intellectual Stimulation
4. Individualized Consideration

Often, when leadership is described, a series of traits are listed. Transformational leadership focuses on the above behaviors instead.

Do your behaviors most resemble a transactional leader or a transformational leader? How do you think you can move from one to the other?

Read the whole article here: https://fromthegreennotebook.com/2014/09/26/dont-be-a-water-bucket-leader/?fbclid=IwAR19H_zCz5OB66PX3CHGHhMyWjYf73wLH6pqayIVKR78bsHVx60wUFzYi04

1st Medical Brigade 30th Medical Brigade 44th Medical Brigade 62nd Medical Brigade 65th Medical Brigade 18th Medical Command (Deployment Support) Medical Service Corps Chief U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence Army Medicine

Don't Be A Water Bucket Leader

Have you ever felt that despite a perpetual state of busyness, nothing seems to really ever change? Does it seem you are rewriting the same TACSOP again, you are not making the impact you envisioned, or the same mistakes are made at each rotation through JRTC, National Training Center/Fort Irwin, or your local field problem?

In this article From The Green Notebook, Joe Byerly defines a “water bucket” leader as someone whose leadership approach can be likened to sticking a hand into a bucket of water and creating a stir by splashing it around. Eventually, the leader pulls their hand out, and when they do, the water quickly returns to its original state. It’s as if they never existed. Even though there was a lot of activity, in the end, the bucket of water looks no different than it did before.

Water Bucket leadership is conducted by transactional leaders, or leaders who give followers what they want in exchange for something the leader wants. To move away from Water Bucket leadership, a shift from transactional to transformational leadership must occur. Transformational leadership is the process whereby a person engages with others and creates a connection that raises the level of motivation and morality in both the leader and the follower.

Transformational Leadership:
1. Idealized Influence
2. Inspirational Motivation
3. Intellectual Stimulation
4. Individualized Consideration

Often, when leadership is described, a series of traits are listed. Transformational leadership focuses on the above behaviors instead.

Do your behaviors most resemble a transactional leader or a transformational leader? How do you think you can move from one to the other?

Read the whole article here: https://fromthegreennotebook.com/2014/09/26/dont-be-a-water-bucket-leader/?fbclid=IwAR19H_zCz5OB66PX3CHGHhMyWjYf73wLH6pqayIVKR78bsHVx60wUFzYi04

1st Medical Brigade 30th Medical Brigade 44th Medical Brigade 62nd Medical Brigade 65th Medical Brigade 18th Medical Command (Deployment Support) Medical Service Corps Chief U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence Army Medicine