Can the US military preserve decades of wartime experience?
BLUF – The article argues that as thousands of post-9/11 veterans retire, the military risks losing not just documented lessons from Iraq and Afghanistan but the judgment, leadership instincts, and decision-making developed through years of combat experience—qualities that cannot be fully captured in doctrine or classroom instruction. For military healthcare leaders, the same challenge applies to military medicine: preserving the operational knowledge gained in combat casualty care, prolonged field care, trauma leadership, and deployment medicine will require deliberate mentorship, realistic training, and opportunities for younger clinicians to develop judgment in operational environments before that experience leaves the force.
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