Applying medical regulation through the roles of care Flashcards
How many roles of care are in the AHS?
(4) four
Describe role 1
The first medical care a Soldier receives is provided at Role 1 (also referred to as unit-level medical
care). This role of care includes—
o Immediate lifesaving measures.
o Disease and nonbattle injury prevention.
o Combat and operational stress preventive measures.
o Patient location and acquisition (collection).
o Medical evacuation from supported units (point of injury or wounding, company aid posts, or
casualty/patient collection points) to supporting MTFs.
o Treatment provided by designated combat medics or treatment squads. (Major emphasis is
placed on those measures necessary for the patient to return to duty or to stabilize him and allow
for his evacuation to the next role of care. These measures include maintaining the airway,
stopping bleeding, preventing shock, protecting wounds, immobilizing fractures, and other
emergency measures, as indicated.)
1-25. Nonmedical personnel performing first aid procedures assist the combat medic in his duties. First
aid is administered by an individual (self-aid/buddy aid) and enhanced first aid is provided by the combat
lifesavers.
Describe role 2
At this role, care is rendered at the Role 2 MTF which is operated by the area support squad, medical
treatment platoon of medical companies. Here, the patient is examined and his wounds and general
medical condition are evaluated to determine his treatment and evacuation precedence, as a single patient
among other patients. Advanced trauma management and TC3 including beginning resuscitation is
continued, and if necessary, additional emergency measures are instituted, but they do not go beyond the
measures dictated by immediate necessities. The Role 2 MTF has the capability to provide packed red
blood cells (liquid), limited x-ray, clinical laboratory, operational dental support, COSC, preventive
medicine, and when augmented, physical therapy and optometry services. The Role 2 MTF provides a
greater capability to resuscitate trauma patients than is available at Role 1. Those patients who can return
to duty within 72 hours (1 to 3 days) are held for treatment. Patients who are nontransportable due to their
medical condition may require resuscitative surgical care from an FST collocated with a medical company.
(See Army doctrine on the FST.) This role of care provides medical evacuation from Role 1 MTFs and
also provides Role 1 medical treatment on an area support basis for units without organic Role 1 resources.
1-30. Role 2 AHS assets are located in the—
Medical company (brigade support battalion), assigned to modular brigades which include the
armored BCT, infantry BCT, and the Stryker BCT.
Medical company (area support) which is an EAB asset that provides direct support to the
modular division and support to EAB units.
Describe role 3
At Role 3, the patient is treated in an MTF staffed and equipped to provide care to all categories of
patients, to include resuscitation, initial wound surgery, damage control surgery, and postoperative
treatment. This role of care expands the support provided at Role 2. Patients who are unable to tolerate
and survive movement over long distances receive surgical care in a hospital as close to the supported unit
as the tactical situation allows. This role includes provisions for—
Evacuating patients from supported units.
Providing care for all categories of patients in an MTF with the proper staff and equipment.
Providing support on an area basis to units without organic medical assets.
Describe role 4
Role 4 medical care is found in CONUS-based
hospitals and other safe havens. If mobilization
requires expansion of military hospital capacities, then the Department of Veterans Affairs and civilian
hospital beds in the National Disaster Medical System are added to meet the increased demands created by
the evacuation of patients from the AO. The support-based hospitals represent the most definitive medical
care available within the AHS.
