Strength Accounting. Leaders use battle rosters to keep up-to-date records of their soldiers and to provide reports to the company at specific intervals. During combat, leaders also provide hasty strength reports upon request or when important strength changes occur.

Killed in Action. The platoon leader designates a location for the collection of KIAs. All personal effects remain with the body; however, the squad leader removes and safeguards any equipment and issue items. He keeps these until he can turn the items over to the platoon sergeant. The platoon sergeant turns over the KIAs to the first sergeant. As a rule, wounded soldiers take priority in transport to the rear. If KIAs can be transported separately from the wounded, this is preferred.

Casualty Reporting. During lulls in the battle, platoons give by-name (roster line number) casualty information to the company. Forms are completed to report KIAs who were not recovered, as well as missing or captured soldiers. A separate form is used to report KIAs who have been recovered and soldiers who have been wounded.

Handling Enemy Prisoners of War. EPWs are treated in accordance with international law. They are treated humanely and not physically or mentally abused. If they cannot be evacuated within a reasonable time, they are given food, water, and, if necessary, first aid.

The 5-S procedure reminds soldiers of the basic principles for handling EPWs, which include tagging prisoners and all captured equipment and materiel. The five Ss are search, segregate, silence, safeguard, and speed to the rear.

Other Services. Other personnel service support functions include awards, leaves, mail, financial matters, legal assistance, rest and recreation, and other services related to the morale and welfare of soldiers.

Health Service Support

Health service support consists of the prevention, treatment, and evacuation of casualties. Prevention is emphasized; soldiers can lose their combat effectiveness because of nonhostile injuries or disease. Observing field hygiene and sanitation, preventing weather-related injuries, and considering the soldier’s overall condition can cut back on the number of casualties.

Initial Steps. When combat begins and casualties occur, the platoon first must provide initial care to those wounded in action (WIA). Casualty evacuation is accomplished through the administration of first aid (self-aid or buddy aid), enhanced first aid (by the combat lifesaver), and EMT (by the trauma specialist or platoon medic). Casualties are cared for at the point of injury or under nearby cover and concealment. During the fight, casualties should remain under cover where they received initial treatment. As soon as the situation allows, squad leaders arrange for casualty evacuation to the platoon CCP.

The platoon normally sets up the CCP in a covered and concealed location to the rear of the platoon position. At the CCP, the platoon medic conducts triage on all casualties, takes steps to stabilize their conditions, and starts the process of moving them to the rear for advanced treatment. Before the platoon evacuates casualties to the CCP or beyond, leaders should remove all key operational items and equipment from each person. This includes signal operating instructions (SOI), maps, position-locating devices, and laser pointers. Every unit should establish an SOP for handling the weapons and ammunition of its WIA.

Movement. CASEVAC (casualty evacuation) is the term used to refer to the movement of casualties by air or ground on nonmedical vehicles or aircraft. CASEVAC operations normally involve the initial movement of wounded or injured soldiers to the nearest medical treatment facility. Casualty evacuation operations may also be employed in support of mass casualty operations. While medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) includes the provision of en-route medical care, CASEVAC does not provide any medical care during movement unless medics escort wounded to the rear.

Timely movement of casualties from the battlefield is important. Squad leaders are responsible for casualty evacuation from the battlefield to the platoon CCP. At the CCP, the senior trauma specialist assists the platoon sergeant and first sergeant in arranging evacuation by ground or air ambulance or by nonstandard means. From the platoon area, casualties are normally evacuated to the company CCP and then back to the battalion aid station (BAS).

The company first sergeant, along with the platoon sergeant, is normally responsible for movement of the casualties from the platoon and company CCP. The unit SOP should address this activity, including the marking of casualties during limited-visibility operations. Once the casualties are collected, evaluated, and treated, they are prioritized for evacuation back to the company CCP. Upon their arrival, the above process is repeated while awaiting their evacuation back to the BAS or to other medical facilities.

When the company is widely dispersed, the casualties may be evacuated directly from the platoon CCP by vehicle or helicopter if they are able to fly. Coordination is made for additional transportation assets as necessary. The senior military person present determines whether to request medical evacuation and assigns precedence. Casualties will be picked up as soon as possible, consistent with available resources and pending missions. The following are categories of precedence and the criteria used in their assignment:

•Priority I—Urgent: Assigned to emergency cases that should be evacuated as soon as possible and within a maximum of two hours in order to save life, limb, or eyesight; to prevent complications of serious illness; or to avoid permanent disability.

•Priority IA—Urgent—Surgery: Assigned to patients who must receive far forward surgical intervention to save their lives and to stabilize them for further evacuation.

•Priority II—Priority: Assigned to sick and wounded personnel requiring prompt medical care. Used when the individual should be evacuated within four hours or his medical condition could deteriorate to such a degree that he will become an URGENT precedence, whose requirements for special treatment are not available locally, or who will suffer unnecessary pain or disability.

•Priority III—Routine: Assigned to sick and wounded personnel requiring evacuation but whose condition is not expected to deteriorate significantly. The sick and wounded in this category should be evacuated within twenty-four hours.

•Priority IV—Convenience: Assigned to patients for whom evacuation by medical vehicle is a matter of medical convenience rather than necessity.

ARMORED VEHICLE SUPPORT

Based on the considerations of the METT-TC analysis and the operational ROE, a situation may arise that requires the attachment of tanks. The following are considerations for task-organizing mechanized assets, such as armored vehicles and tanks, and (SBCT) units with infantry platoons.

Maneuver

Maneuver by the infantry is enhanced by support from the armored vehicles. The infantry assists the heavy forces by infiltrating to clear obstacles or key enemy positions and to disrupt the enemy’s defense. It provides security for the armored vehicles by detecting and suppressing or destroying enemy AT weapons. It designates targets and spots the impact of fires for tanks, Bradley fighting vehicles (BFVs), or Stryker mobile gun system (MGS) vehicles.

Mechanized forces support the infantry by moving with it along an axis of advance and providing a protected, fast-moving assault weapons system. They suppress fire from and destroy enemy weapons, bunkers, and tanks by fire and maneuver. They also provide transport when the enemy situation permits. Armored vehicles should never be maneuvered individually. The smallest maneuver level for armor is a section (two vehicles).