The Medical Department in Military Operations Other Than War. Part I. Planning for Deployment

Abstract

Many military deployments are "military operations other than war" (MOOTW), a spectrum of assignments less than all-out combat. The corresponding medical support requirement differs from conventional military medical combat support and also from customary civilian medical practice. Hence, medical planners will use different doctrine and planning tools than are used in civilian facilities or on field training exercises when tasked for MOOTW activities. The deployment team must be self-sufficient, plan for very large numbers of affected individuals, and arrange for food, water, shelter, sanitation, power, light, security, transportation, communications, and team health care in advance of arrival. Careful and well-thought-out advance liaison with numerous interested parties is required to ensure mission success. The medical department on these missions may represent the lead element, and other warfare specialists and line and staff officers may support the medical mission by providing security, communications, transportation, and logistics. The medical team may find that it represents the foreign policy "point of the spear" during MOOTW deployments.