War dead are sneaked out of the back gate

[JMA]

What has significantly improved survival rates in Afghanistan is the amount of protection afforded to the individual (body armour) and significantly improved treatment capabilities at every stage of the process. Units deploying to Afghanistan aim to have at least 1 in 2 (and preferably everyone) personnel trained as a team medic. Every patrol is accompagnied by a combat medical technician (mostly of paramedic grade) and in the event of a casualty our MEDEVAC and CASEVAC capabilities are significant. On arrival at hospital they are into one of the best truama centres in the world and from there can be dispatched to the best centre to cope with their particular injuries.

In the Falklands our tolerance of risk was much greater, so less body armour and while the medical chain was world class for its time it was nothing like what we have now.

The situation in AFG is very much more like that in N Ireland in terms of the development of medical TTPs and capabilities and attitude towards risk.

I am glad the Brit army have (finally) got on top of their game in this regard. Back on 6 September 2006 Cpl Wright (later died of wounds) and Sgt Pearson (both of 3 Para) were injured in an unmarked Soviet minefield near Kajaki waited 3 and a half hours for CASEVAC and when it came it was from the US forces who winched their (brave beyond belief) medic down into the minefield to effect the CASEVAC. So the Brits have come a long way since.

I remember being shocked at the time of the Falklands that compared to what we (RLI) had got to (after a steep learning curve from 1972-80) that the Brits were still virtually at the one first field dressing per man level. The South Africans were not much better I might add relying rather on a speedy CASEVAC system (but forgetting in the most serious cases it is the first minutes and seconds that count - that being one of the training problems of a conscript army where you need to squeeze as much operational time out of their service).