A DOD committee formed shortly after Gulf War I to oversee combat trauma surgery programs gathered at Ft. Sam Houston, Tex., last month, to review its set a new agenda. Among accomplishments from its first decade, the group has created joint training standards and an Emergency War Surgery Handbook, as well as establishing partnerships with civilian trauma training centers. Lt. Col. Donald Jenkins, chief of trauma at Wilford Hall Medical Center at Lackland AFB, Tex., says that the Combat Trauma Surgical Committee comprises “high-powered, high ranking, very senior member[s]” that keep their focus on the wounded troop. He called the committee’s efforts “unparalleled.”
The Department of the Air Force wants to launch a construction boom with its fiscal 2027 budget, more than doubling its request over 2026, according to budget documents.