Papers by Scott C Woodard
Fredericksburg Standard, 2024
Military Medicine, 2023
The battle along Antietam Creek in September 1862 was pivotal in shaping future combat medical re... more The battle along Antietam Creek in September 1862 was pivotal in shaping future combat medical readiness practices. With the full confidence of his commander, Major (Dr) Jonathan Letterman implemented an innovative ambulance corps system, which contributed immensely to modern-day battlefield medicine. Each year, the Uniformed Services University (USU) holds the Antietam Staff Walk, during which military medical students are engaged by faculty at various "stops" along the 6-mile walk. The four learning objectives for the Antietam Staff Walk are to (1) introduce the role of the "staff ride," (2) orient learners to reading terrain, (3) reinforce the six principles of health service support, and (4) recall the heritage of the military medical officer. The Department of Military and Emergency Medicine at USU commissioned a program evaluation to determine if these course objectives were being met, evaluate the effectiveness of the Antietam Staff Walk as a teaching tool, and make recommendations for improving its educational impact.
The Medical Journal, 2022
Brigadier General Douglas Kendrick warned in his seminal work on the blood program of the Second ... more Brigadier General Douglas Kendrick warned in his seminal work on the blood program of the Second World War, It was only by the strictest attention to such matters that blood was able to achieve its miracles, and, equally important, was prevented from becoming a deadly agent. It must never be forgotten that without proper care, blood can be lethal. His point lay in the details offered. It was only by adherence to attention to detail in procurement, storage, and delivery the miraculous powers of blood can be achieved. Throughout his historical documentation, the requirement for special training of personnel handling blood was emphasized and documented. Deviating from prescribed storage temperatures, rough handling, exceeding shelf life, improperly matching blood types, and contaminating the blood are some of the various improper care that produce a negative patient outcome. Bacterial infection, toxicity, hypoxemia, and antibodies in the blood are just a few examples and could ultimately lead to death. This article focuses on the means of this miracle in briefly telling the story of whole blood on the battlefield by the US Army.
The roles of advisers in Vietnam, specifically those in the Army Medical Department, are presente... more The roles of advisers in Vietnam, specifically those in the Army Medical Department, are presented here as a reminder of the valuable work those
individuals accomplished and as potential historical lessons for similar future counterinsurgency missions.
Most prisoners of the North Vietnamese in Hanoi were aviators from the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Na... more Most prisoners of the North Vietnamese in Hanoi were aviators from the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy. Only 77 were from the U.S. Army. Prisoners captured in ground combat held by the Viet Cong were mostly from the Army. Similar to previous Asian captivity—most Vietnam War POWs had intestinal parasites (77% Army) whether held in the North or South.
The return of U.S. prisoners from the North Koreans and
Communist Chinese were conducted in two o... more The return of U.S. prisoners from the North Koreans and
Communist Chinese were conducted in two operations—
“Little Switch” (April 21 to May 3, 1953) for the most seriously sick and wounded and “Big Switch” (August 4 to September 6, 1953) for most of the remaining prisoners of war (POWs). In this conflict, the Army Medical Department through its deployed medical units initially cared for all returning prisoners.
The large influx of former captives released by the Japanese was met with a deliberate plan, War ... more The large influx of former captives released by the Japanese was met with a deliberate plan, War Department Directive “Handling and Disposition of Recovered U.S.Military Personnel Who Formerly Served on Wake, Guam, and the Philippines” dated February 19, 1945.
The prisoner of war (POW), detainee, or captive has borne additional suffering in armed conflict.... more The prisoner of war (POW), detainee, or captive has borne additional suffering in armed conflict. Repatriated POWs who emerge from captivity must also survive the stress of societal and military reintegration.1 The prisoner experience is brutal. Starvation, poor to nonexistent medical care, death marches, execution, and torture were the orders of the day. Army medicine has, and continues to play, a key role in post captivity. Just as each combat experience is different, so also are the resulting medical conditions dependent on individual health, diet, location, physical, and mental
treatment during captivity. This article will focus on Army care provided to released American prisoners in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam.
Throughout the Second World War, Army units remained segregated separating "colored" troops from ... more Throughout the Second World War, Army units remained segregated separating "colored" troops from other Soldiers. It was not until after the war that the armed forces were desegregated under President Truman's executive order in 1947. Despite the separations, Pfc. Malvin L. Brown was a member of the only parachute unit composed entirely of black Soldiers.
As part of a joint medical logistics embedded training team (ETT), I spent a year in Afghanistan ... more As part of a joint medical logistics embedded training team (ETT), I spent a year in Afghanistan mentoring members of the Afghan National Army (ANA). Our 10-member team, which included 4 U.S. Soldiers, 4 U.S. Airmen, 1 Afghan civilian, and 1 ANA medical logistics officer, was assigned to the Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan (CSTC–A) Command Surgeon’s Office in Kabul. The CSTC–A provides mentors to assist the Afghan Ministry of Defense in training, equipping, and employing Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) so that they can defeat insurgencies and provide security for the citizens of Afghanistan.
The critical task of the physician uniting effective surgical intervention within close proximity... more The critical task of the physician uniting effective surgical intervention within close proximity to the front lines, and therefore the wounded, must be matched with the challenge of not becoming a casualty as well. The U.S. Army Medical Services
during the Korean War balanced the surgeon’s ability to protect himself and save others. This article tells the story of perhaps one of the most characteristically highlighted medical aspects of the Korean War, the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital.
Originally intended to be close to the front lines of fighting, the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital was equipped to move on its own. Initially, the unit was formed to provide surgical capabilities for one division. It transformed through the course of the
war into a multidivision and multinational all-purpose hospital. With this expansion in workload (medical cases in addition to surgery) without an equitable increase in personnel, rapid evacuation of patients was the only means of keeping up.
Books by Scott C Woodard
Combat Readiness Through Medicine at the Battle of Antietam, 2022
This publication highlights important medical innovations and improvements gained from the deadli... more This publication highlights important medical innovations and improvements gained from the deadliest day in US history, the Battle of Antietam. This pivotal US Civil War battle helped shape future combat medical readiness practices in the US Army. The Battle of Antietam provides important lessons in battlefield tactics, leadership, command and control, communications, and unit training that improve the nation`s readiness to bring combat power to commanders in the field of battle. It was during this battle that the US Army solidified its emerging plan to decisively combat battlefield mortality, which marked the beginning of true combat readiness through medicine. This publication is applicable to the entire range of health care in the Department of Defense and can serve as a valuable learning aid for a variety of military and civilian medical professionals. This study can used in conjunction with the US Army Center of Military History`s Staff Ride Guide: Battle of Antietam or it can be used separately as a focused analysis of military medicine.
In World War I, hospital equipment and mobile surgical teams were transported, together with thei... more In World War I, hospital equipment and mobile surgical teams were transported, together with their equipment and tentage, in trucks across the front. 7(p69) In World War II, the European and North African theaters of operation generally employed linear battlefields where combat support and combat service support units provided services by doctrine along fairly defined battle lines in the mountains and fields of the European continent and the deserts of Africa. The intent was to bring definitive care to the seriously wounded in far forward areas through auxiliary surgical groups. Close attention was paid to the selection of individuals to compose surgical teams within the groups, balancing the need for varying specialties, as well as the requirement of healthy young men capable of performing major surgery of the abdomen, chest, and extremities. The theory of bringing well-trained surgeons to the critically wounded, rather than the older method of evacuating the seriously wounded far to the rear for definitive surgical care, was proven logical and sound. This helped reduce the mortality and morbidity among the troops wounded in the combat zone. Because chest and abdominal wounds formed the majority of wounded cases, it was emphasized that the specialist must also be a good general surgeon. 9(pp385-386) The other side of the conflict in Asia is contrasted in the surgical support provided in World War II to the Pacific and China-Burma-India theaters of operation where the jungle canopy and island combat made the fight nonlinear. Here portable surgical hospitals bore the brunt of front line definitive surgery. They lacked generators, electrical illumination, refrigerators, suction apparatuses, and resuscitation equipment. Because of this, the portable surgical hospital could not operate independent of clearing companies and reinforcement by surgical teams. 9(p573)
Book Reviews by Scott C Woodard
H-War, H-Net Book Review, 2024
United States gathers a rich and thoroughly documented collection of mustard gas experiments, dis... more United States gathers a rich and thoroughly documented collection of mustard gas experiments, discoveries, and the poisonous legacy of this chemical weapon. In the introduction, the author's scope, purpose, and content are presented: human experimentation on military servicemembers with mustard gas by "scientists, physician-researchers, and military officials"; effects on the research subjects; and outcomes and legacy of the research. Before describing each logically presented chapter, Smith succinctly explains what "mustard gas was, and still is, a defining feature of the war's legacy for soldiers' health, racialized science, ocean environments, and cancer treatment in the United States" (p. 3). The chapters are organized logically and are well presented in two sections. Part 1, "Preparation for Chemical Warfare," includes two chapters: "Wounding Men to Learn: Soldiers as Human Subjects" and "Race Studies and the Science of War." Part 2, "Toxic Legacies of War," contains "Mustard Gas in the Sea around Us" and "A Wartime Story: Mustard Agents and Cancer Chemotherapy.
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Papers by Scott C Woodard
individuals accomplished and as potential historical lessons for similar future counterinsurgency missions.
Communist Chinese were conducted in two operations—
“Little Switch” (April 21 to May 3, 1953) for the most seriously sick and wounded and “Big Switch” (August 4 to September 6, 1953) for most of the remaining prisoners of war (POWs). In this conflict, the Army Medical Department through its deployed medical units initially cared for all returning prisoners.
treatment during captivity. This article will focus on Army care provided to released American prisoners in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam.
during the Korean War balanced the surgeon’s ability to protect himself and save others. This article tells the story of perhaps one of the most characteristically highlighted medical aspects of the Korean War, the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital.
Originally intended to be close to the front lines of fighting, the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital was equipped to move on its own. Initially, the unit was formed to provide surgical capabilities for one division. It transformed through the course of the
war into a multidivision and multinational all-purpose hospital. With this expansion in workload (medical cases in addition to surgery) without an equitable increase in personnel, rapid evacuation of patients was the only means of keeping up.
Books by Scott C Woodard
Book Reviews by Scott C Woodard
individuals accomplished and as potential historical lessons for similar future counterinsurgency missions.
Communist Chinese were conducted in two operations—
“Little Switch” (April 21 to May 3, 1953) for the most seriously sick and wounded and “Big Switch” (August 4 to September 6, 1953) for most of the remaining prisoners of war (POWs). In this conflict, the Army Medical Department through its deployed medical units initially cared for all returning prisoners.
treatment during captivity. This article will focus on Army care provided to released American prisoners in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam.
during the Korean War balanced the surgeon’s ability to protect himself and save others. This article tells the story of perhaps one of the most characteristically highlighted medical aspects of the Korean War, the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital.
Originally intended to be close to the front lines of fighting, the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital was equipped to move on its own. Initially, the unit was formed to provide surgical capabilities for one division. It transformed through the course of the
war into a multidivision and multinational all-purpose hospital. With this expansion in workload (medical cases in addition to surgery) without an equitable increase in personnel, rapid evacuation of patients was the only means of keeping up.