title: Role of the battalion surgeon in the Iraq and Afghanistan War.
abstract: The battalion surgeon is an invaluable asset to a deploying unit. The primary role of a battalion surgeon is to provide basic primary care medicine and combat resuscitation. Other expectations include health care screening, vaccinations, supervision of medics, and being a medical advisor to the unit's commander. As many physicians who fill this role previously worked at medical treatment facilities or medical centers without prior deployment experience, the objective of this article is to highlight some of the challenges a battalion surgeon may encounter before, during, and following deployment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, 8901 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20889, USA.
authors.forename: Fouad J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Moawad
authors.forename: Ramey
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: Mathew T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Kunar
authors.forename: Joshua D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Hartzell
mesh_terms: D000346:Afghanistan; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000592:standards; D013502:General Surgery / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D007493:Iraq; D008403:Mass Screening; D008887:Military Medicine; D008952:Mobile Health Units / Q000458:organization & administration; D009934:Organization and Administration / Q000592:standards; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D010819:Physician's Role; D013523:Surgical Equipment / Q000600:supply & distribution; D014481:United States; D014611:Vaccination / Q000592:standards; D014857:Warfare