CASEVAC

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CASEVAC is a shorthand word that means "casualty evacuation". This can apply to injured soldiers or civilians, and is used to denote the emergency patient evacuation of injured people from a combat zone. CASEVAC can be done by both ground and air. CASEVACs by air are almost exclusively done by helicopter. CASEVAC aircraft are not equipped with specific life saving equipment or specially trained medical personnel.

While CASEVAC personnel may provide medical aid, they do not have any extensive medical training. Their primary purpose is to transport personnel from danger to the nearest appropriate medical facility, as quickly as possible. In the U.S. Army, the highest level of medical care available during a CASEVAC is from combat lifesavers. These personnel are trained to stablize patients during very specific life-threatening situations, such as tension pneumothorax or severe bleeding, but lack equipment and training for any unusual or complex medical emergencies. A large percentage of soldiers in the U.S. Army are trained to be combat lifesavers.