Improving Trauma and Critical Care Proficiency and Readiness for Air Force Personnel in Critical Medical Specialties: A Pacific Air Forces Perspective.

Most U.S. Air Force medical personnel spend their time at military treatment facilities (MTFs) caring for patients whose ailments are far less complex or urgent than the severe trauma-related injuries they would see in war. This mismatch between peacetime and wartime medical care necessitates a deliberate effort on the part of the Air Force Medical Service (AFMS) as a whole and the Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) to ensure that personnel in critical medical specialties receive the training and hands-on clinical experience they need to save lives in a high-casualty environment. The goal of this research project was to investigate approaches for increasing readiness and proficiency. To develop a portfolio of readiness building activities, the authors analyzed manpower and personnel data, reviewed Comprehensive Medical Readiness Program (CMRP) checklists and relevant literature, engaged in discussions with the stakeholder community, and developed models of the assignment system and of skill acquisition and decay. They present their findings and recommendations for the future and have developed a prototype framework to demonstrate a possible method for deciding which readiness building activities and assignment policies to employ.

Alternative Approaches for Expanding the Air Force's Task Force True North Program.

The Air Force seeks to maximize airman fitness and minimize threats to individual and unit readiness, such as domestic and sexual violence and suicide. The purpose of the Air Force's Task Force True North (TFTN) is to provide effective prevention and treatment programs to airmen in need by embedding health care providers directly into units. In this study, the authors identify potential courses of action (COAs) for expanding the TFTN program, including estimating each approach's associated manpower requirements, recruiting requirements, total costs, and implementation timelines. In developing these COAs, the authors analyzed embedded behavioral and physical health programs in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and U.S. Special Operations Command; developed a framework for analyzing mental, physical, and social squadron risk levels; developed personnel packages for low-, medium-, and high-risk squadrons; and estimated the costs of implementing these personnel packages under different timelines. In addition to detailing these COAs, the authors provide recommendations on best practices for the Air Force to follow as it expands the TFTN program.