Timeline

Sample only - not based on real events.

8:30 AM - IED detonates, three Marines wounded, one critically.  Within 30 seconds a US Navy Corpsman is on the scene and administers first aid, applies tourniquets and assesses for life threatening injuries.

8:32 - 9-Line Medevac reports sent from location 18 miles from Role 3 hospital.  Trauma page goes out to Bastion Hospital for Anesthesia, Trauma Surgery, Ortho, Emergency Medicine, Nurses, Radiology and the OR staff. 

8:35 - Wheels up for Medevac flight, one of three options.  Dust-off - usually in the air the quickest with medics who have some medical training.  PEDRO - Air Force PJ's (think similar training as special forces, but with medical to boot), or MERT (British Crew with Flight Nurse and Critical Care physician aboard).

8:43 - Medevac Flight lands and triages patient.  Packaged within 3 minutes and intubated and blood transfusions started on the flight to hospital.  Bastion Trauma Team assembled and waiting to receive.

8:53 - Medevac flight lands 300 meters from hosptial and ambulance ready to accept patient (has already been cleared of weapons). 

8:55 - Patient arrives in ED.  Vitals assessed, Blood drawn, Chest Xray, Pelvis Xray, tourniquets applied, full Physical Exam completed within 5 minutes. 

9:01 - Decision to proceed to CT scan made.  OR staff has OR ready.

9:07 - CT scan with contrast completed.  First patient needs surgery with Ortho and General and is taken Directly to OR.

9:15 - Patient prepped and draped and operation started - in 45 minutes!

11:05 - Operation complete patient stable and taken to ICU.  Plans have already been made for Medevac at 1:30 pm to next level of service, and will be back in the US (will a little luck and good weather) within 72 hours. 

And this is in the middle of nowhere Afghanistan.  I can't remember who said it, but there is a saying goes  that something like this - You judge a country by the amount they invest in treating their war wounded. 

I think we win!