About AMEDD - AMEDD Innovations Since Desert Storm

Modern battlefields feature highly mobile formations rapidly moving over a large area. Casualties are likely to be far from medical facilities and require sustaining care for an extended time before evacuation can be complete. The U.S. Army therefore is restructuring its military occupational specialty for enlisted combat medics, providing them more training to help them save lives on the battlefield and maintain care until the patient can be removed to a medical facility. These Soldiers also provide more highly trained medics for service on hospital wards.

• All 91W (Health Care Specialist) Soldiers will be qualified as nationally registered Emergency Medical Technicians.
• The course for training new combat medics has been extended from 10 weeks to 16 weeks.
• Training includes theories and practices of Basic Trauma Life Support or Pre-hospital Trauma Life Support, Trauma AIMS (advanced airway, intravenous therapy, medications and pharmacology, shock management), and CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation).
• Medics in the former military occupational specialties of 91B (Combat Medic) and 91C (Licensed Practical Nurse) are reclassified as 91W. All active-duty 91W will complete the additional training necessary by Oct. 2, 2007, while Reserve 91W will complete training by Oct. 1, 2009.
• Approximately 40,000 active-duty and Reserve 91Ws form the third-largest military occupational specialty in the Army.