The Hill: Colorado Democrat introduces bill to bolster battlefield trauma care research

Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.), a former Army Ranger, will introduce a bill Friday to help the U.S. military continue developing new approaches to provide service members and veterans battlefield trauma care by learning lessons from conflict overseas. 

Crow, who sits on the House Armed Services Committee, will introduce the Cooperative Overseas Military Battlefield Advancement in Trauma (COMBAT) Care Act, which would authorize the defense secretary, in consultation with the secretary of State, to establish a joint training and education program with foreign militaries to study and learn from prior wars. 

“The future of warfare is changing, as we are seeing in Ukraine right now. The United States must be ready for the new challenges we face and ensure that our servicemembers receive world-class care when they need it most,” Crow said in a statement.

The bill is co-sponsored by Rep. Jeff Crank (R-Colo.) and was endorsed by the University of Colorado Anschutz, located in Aurora. 

An identical provision was included in the House and Senate versions of the National Defense Authorization Act. 

As part of the education program, the U.S. and other countries in the program can conduct joint conferences, symposia and professional exchange programs involving medical professionals, according to a copy of the bill, which was first shared with The Hill. 

The Pentagon’s Joint Trauma System (JTS), which was established in 2016, looks to improve trauma readiness and outcomes through “evidence-driven performance improvement.” 

“Our vision is to support the combatant commands by ensuring every service member injured in any theater of operation will be provided with the optimum chance for survival and maximum potential for functional recovery,” the JTS says on its website. 

Crank said it is “important” that the improvements in education and research partnerships in regards to military trauma continue to improve so that the U.S. can take care of its service members. 

“The COMBAT Care Act works to grant the Department of War and the State Department the authority to work together to study military trauma and look towards better treatment options for our service members and veterans,” Crank said in a statement, using the Trump administration preferred name for the Department of Defense.