Training Military Medical Personnel for Respond for Directed Energy Weapons and Technology Casualties on Humanitarian Missions

Directed energy devices on the battlefield and on humanitarian missions create an increasingly important hazard for our war fighters and for non-combatants. The appropriate education of our war fighters will include the pathophysiology of the effects ofdirected energy sources with tissue, the sources of exposure (both intentional and accidental) the methods for evaluating injuries, and their medical management.The goal of medical management will be to provide combat medics with the knowledge to rapidly diagnose and treat laser eye injuries on the battlefield to minimize vision loss, to recognize and treat corneal burns, and to treat skin burns due to directedenergy sources.The proposed program centers around developing a centralized Directed Energy Combat Casualty Care training program and information process. The training itself will enable casualty care personnel to identify hazards; assess health and psychologicaleffects of directed energy devices; know and be able to use appropriate triage and treatment protocols; be able to apply appropriate treatment (including acute care management and psychological care); and ensure standardization and interoperability ofCombat Casualty Care training readiness programs.