Tactical Wilderness Medicine

A quarterly column that addresses the common overlap of austere medicine, limited resources, lack of manpower and delayed health care delivery and evacuation between tactical combat casualty care (TCCC) and wilderness medicine. Articles are based on the frequent updates to the Department of Defense TCCC trauma guidelines, with an emphasis on the relevance to the wilderness medicine provider.

Column Editor: Gustavo E. Flores, MD, NRP, FP-C, TP-C, WP-C, FAWM

Transport Is Not a Transition

Dr. Gustavo Flores, MD, NRP, FP-C, TP-C, WP-C, FAWM
April 30, 2026

Reframing evacuation as a high-risk phase of care, this article examines en route care across operational, wilderness, and prolonged field care settings, emphasizing preparation, packaging, and continuous reassessment.


Evolution of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Captain Brad L. Bennett, MSC, U.S. Navy (Ret.), PhD, Paramedic, MFAWM Senior Chief Ryan Christensen, U.S. Navy (Ret.), TP-C, NRP, WEMT, FAWM, DiMM
October 27, 2025

Drones are redefining wilderness medicine by delivering supplies, aiding rescues, and reaching places humans can’t.


Airway Management Update 2024 (Part 2)

Captain Brad L. Bennett, U.S. Navy (Ret.), PhD, Paramedic, MFAWMSenior Chief Ryan Christensen, U.S. Navy (Ret.), TP-C, NRP, WEMT, FAWM, DiMM
April 23, 2025

TCCC Guidelines offer comprehensive best-practice recommendations for combat medical personnel at the point of injury.


Water Purification for Wound Irrigation in Austere Settings

Brad L. Bennett, PhD, Paramedic, MFAWM, Ryan Christensen, TP-C, NRP, WEMT, DIMM, FAWM
February 18, 2025

Wounds and lacerations are common, resulting in significant morbidity in civilian settings, military conflicts, and wilderness areas that often require medical evacuation


Prolonged Casualty Care: Relevance to Wilderness Medicine

Brad L. Bennett, PhD, Paramedic, MFAWM Ryan Christensen, TP-C, NRP, WEMT, DIMM, FAWM
October 28, 2024

Pediatric education prepares wilderness clinicians to manage kids’ unique medical needs—recognizing symptoms, adapting treatments, and improving outcomes in remote, resource-limited environments.


Canine Trauma and First Aid Care for Use in Austere Environments

Brad L. Bennett, PhD, Paramedic, MFAWM Ryan Christensen, TP-C, NRP, WEMT, DiMM, FAWM
July 18, 2024

Working dogs or canines (K9s), either in the Department of Defense (DoD), civilian law enforcement, or with search and rescue teams, are all involved in high-threat or demanding environments


Tactical Combat Casualty Care: Airway Management Update 2024 (Part 1)

Captain Brad L. Bennett, U.S. Navy (Ret.), PhD, Paramedic, MFAWM Senior Chief Ryan Christensen, U.S. Navy (Ret.), TP-C, NRP, WEMT, FAWM, DiMM
April 10, 2024

A look at the latest TCCC airway updates-simplifying field care, refining cricothyroidotomy criteria, and phasing out older airway tools for safer, faster response.


Tourniquet Replacement & Conversion for the Wilderness Medicine Provider

Captain Brendon Drew, DO, USN (Ret), FAWMCaptain Brad L. Bennett, USN (Ret.), PhD, Paramedic, MFAWM
January 9, 2024

Renewed interest on tourniquet lessons learned from Ukraine and Israel


Battlefield Ukraine

Gordon Giesbrecht, PhD, FAsMA, FAWM, FEWM
November 2, 2023

The ultimate in wilderness medicine


Selective Prehospital Advanced Resuscitative Care (SPARC) Model

Captain Brad L. Bennett, U.S. Navy (Ret.), PhD, Paramedic, MFAWMSenior Chief Ryan Christensen, U.S. Navy (Ret.), NRP, WEMT, DiMM, FAWM
July 6, 2023

Is there a wilderness medicine application?


Hand Trauma: Management options for severe finger laceration

Brad L. Bennett PhD, Paramedic, MFAWMRyan Christensen NRP, DIMM, FAWM
February 21, 2023

The hand is minimally protected and easily injured from trauma


Analgesia and sedation management

Brad L. Bennett, PhD, Paramedic, MFAWMRyan Christensen, NRP, WEMT, DiMM, FAWM
November 16, 2022

Managing mild to severe trauma on the battlefield


TCCC Abdominal Trauma Update

Captain Brad L. Bennett, U.S. Navy (Ret.), PhD, Paramedic, MFAWMSenior Chief Ryan Christensen, U.S. Navy (Ret.), NRP, WEMT, DiMM, FAWM
July 15, 2022

Evisceration Management


TCCC Chest Trauma Guideline Update

Captain Brad L. Bennett, U.S. Navy (Ret.), PhD, Paramedic, MFAWMSenior Chief Ryan Christensen, U.S. Navy (Ret.), NRP, WEMT, DiMM, FAWM
January 3, 2022

Tension pneumothorax


Guidelines to Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC)

Captain Brad L. Bennett, U.S. Navy (Ret.), PhD, Paramedic, MFAWM Senior Chief Ryan Christensen, U.S. Navy (Ret.), NRP, WEMT, DiMM, FAWM
October 1, 2021

Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) Guidelines: 2020-2021


Trauma-Induced Hypothermia

Captain Brad L. Bennett, U.S. Navy (Ret.), PhD, Paramedic, MFAWMSenior Chief Ryan Christensen, U.S. Navy (Ret.), NRP, WEMT, DiMM, FAWM
April 12, 2021

Hypothermia Prevention Changes


TCCC Trauma Guidelines Update

Senior Chief John “Kip” Morey, SO-ATP, NRP, FP-C, TP-CSenior Chief Ryan Christensen, U.S. Navy (Ret.), NRP, WEMT, DiMM, FAWM
December 29, 2020

Tranexamic Acid (TXA)


The iTClamp

Captain Brad L. Bennett, U.S. Navy (Ret.), PhD, Paramedic, MFAWMSenior Chief Ryan Christensen, U.S. Navy (Ret.), NRP, WEMT, DiMM, FAWM
November 10, 2020

A Mechanical Wound Closure Device


Wilderness Tactical Medicine

Senior Chief Ryan Christensen, U.S. Navy (Ret.), NRP, WEMT, DiMM, FAWMCaptain Brad L. Bennett, U.S. Navy (Ret.), PhD, Paramedic, MFAWM
July 24, 2020

Tourniquet Optimization & Conversion


Tactical Combat Casualty Care (April '20)

Captain Brad L. Bennett, U.S. Navy (Ret.), PhD, Paramedic, MFAWMSenior Chief Ryan Christensen, U.S. Navy (Ret.), NRP, WEMT, DiMM, FAWM
April 10, 2020

New quarterly article focusing on TCCC