Free Republic

For years, the use of unscreened blood transfusions exposed severely wounded servicemembers and other trauma patients in Iraq and Afghanistan to the inherent risk of diseases such as HIV, hepatitis and malaria, according to medical experts who advise the secretary of defense. Battlefield attacks that resulted in mass casualties or severe injuries often overtaxed the military’s blood supply system until 2007, meaning medics collected fresh blood from those on site for emergency treatment of the wounded, the Defense Health Board wrote in a June 2008 report. The unscreened blood transfusions, however, did not meet federal safety standards required of all...

KIRKUK — The sound of emergency sirens streaked through the K-1 Iraqi Army Base as fire trucks and ambulances escorted by military vehicles rushed outside the base to respond to a simulated catastrophic event with massive casualties. The recent MASCAL training exercise was a joint effort between the Iraqi army and medical personnel and 25th Infantry Division Soldiers from nearby Forward Operating Base Warrior. In addition to providing urgent medical care to actors playing casualties on the ground, the responders had to deal with the real-world risks of operating outside the security of the base. With Iraqi and U.S. military...