AUSTIN, Texas — As the U.S. Army continues modernization efforts to make Soldiers and units more lethal to deploy, fight and win our nation's wars, experts across the Army are developing concepts to meet future challenges.
Over the past 18 months, members of the Medical Capability Development Integration Directorate worked tirelessly with medical community partners across the U.S. Army and the Defense Health Agency through experiments and forums to ensure buy-in and concurrence of the first medical concepts published by Army Futures Command.
On Mar. 4, 2022, Lt. Gen. Scott McKean, deputy commanding general, U.S. Army Futures Command and director, Futures and Concepts Center, signed the Army Futures Command Concept for Medical 2028.
Maj. Gen. Dennis LeMaster, commanding general, U.S Army Medical Center of Excellence, Col. James Jones, director, Medical CDID, and others attended the event.
According to Jones, “Lt. Gen. McKean’s approval and signature of the Army Health Systems medical concept of operations is a historic win for the entire Army. This document fundamentally changes how our enterprise mans, trains, organizes and equips formations in the future to provide the greatest good and ultimately conserve the fighting strength.”
The medical concept is the foundation of all future medical Experimentation, Requirements, and Integration as it drives change for Doctrine, Organization, Training, Materiel, Leadership, and Education, Personnel, Facilities, and Policy, or DOTMLPF-P.
The Medical CDID works closely with the MEDCoE to bridge the gap between concepts and doctrine. The Medical CDID develops center of excellence-related concepts and requirements and conducts experiments to validate DOTMLPF-P integrated combined arms capabilities that complement joint, interagency and multinational capabilities.
The MEDCoE develops adaptive medical doctrine that supports the Army and Joint Force and is responsible for training, educating, and inspiring all of the Army's medical personnel.
"The Army Futures Command Concept for Medical 2028 is the first concept in the Army Concept Framework that focuses on medical operations. It describes how the AHS, along with its unified action partners, will support the health of operational forces during competition, the preservation of our fighting strength in conflict and the rest of our forces in a return to competition”, said Maj. Gen. Dennis LeMaster, commanding general of MEDCoE.
The Army Futures Command Concept for Medical 2028 describes changes to how the AHS will enable and sustain multi-domain operations against peer and near-peer competitors in the 2028 timeframe.
LeMaster stated, “The document emphasizes that all medical technology must integrate via artificial intelligence operationally and demonstrate efficacy for reduced [disease and nonbattle injuries], improved clinical outcomes and higher return to duty rates. Technology must inform the entire AHS, enable the commander, ensure joint interoperability and conserve the fighting strength. It describes why our information requirements are critical!”
The identification and development of future technologies are critical to meeting the needs of the Army's future goals of the MDO capable force of 2028 and the ability to conduct MDO across an array of scenarios in multiple theaters by 2030.
Jones recognizes that it takes a dedicated team of professionals to develop a concept of this magnitude.
“I would like to thank all of my fellow CDID directors who represented the War Fighting Functions, U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command, director, Future and Concept Center, U.S. Army MEDCoE, and The Surgeon General for their incredible mentorship, guidance, and support which led to this world-class document.”
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