2013 Military Health System Research Symposium Supplement: Issue Overview

Military Medicine is an enormously broad topic, and advancing the associated science presents many unique challenges and opportunities. This special issue is representative of the wide-ranging mix of traumaand nontrauma-related topics presented at the 2013 Military Health System Research Symposium. The articles reflect the broad range of research sponsored by the Defense Health Program, and the myriad challenges faced by medics in dealing with Warfighter injuries, both on and off the battlefield, both before and after deployment. No less daunting is the drive to continuously improve the quality of our battlefield and in-garrison medical care. Both Defense Health Program and Service-sponsored medical research and development provide a means to that end. The articles in this supplement demonstrate how military researchers, along with academia and industry partners, continue to evolve the landscape of military medicine in order to meet Warfighter medical challenges. An opening perspective is provided by Dukes et al who remind us that performing and completing research, particularly in a deployed setting, takes persistence and dedication. The individual supplement articles provide reports on advances in interventions in combat casualty care, aeromedical evacuation, military versus civilian trauma care, the development of clinical processes, innovations in care, selection and training, and human performance (Table I). A closing perspective is provided by Liu et al and Fain et al who, in complementary reports, discuss their experiences in developing a U.S. Army Rapid Equipping Force–supported “system of systems.” These two articles serve as an inherent reminder that upon completion of applied/advanced medical research, it is the successful maneuvering of that research product through advanced development (acquisition, regulatory compliance, and/or knowledge translation) to fielding that closes a developmental loop that started out as an innovative approach submitted to a research program announcement. The results of Defense Health Program and Service-sponsored research, development, and acquisition are driving the transformation of Warfighter care. Each of the articles presented here contribute to the library of data that will inform and guide future military clinicians, scientists, and policymakers as they advance current health, and set the foundation for the appropriate medical responses to future conflicts.