George Washington had a problem in the winter of 1777. Smallpox was devastating the already undermanned Continental Army, and much-needed new recruits were being quarantined for a month as a precautionary measure. In addition, Washington had intelligence that the British had devised a scheme to infect more troops. So the general made a fateful decision. Every soldier and recruit would be inoculated, a technique by which they would be infected, likely get a mild case, and acquire immunity.
Scrubby trees hide the entrance. A sloping wooden tunnel descends to a brightly lit reception area. There is a surgery unit, equipped with beds, cardiac monitors and ventilators. And shelves full of medical equipment, drugs and neat piles of spare clothes. In a staff room with a washing machine and kettle, doctors keep an eye on a screen. It shows the movements of Russian spy drones as they zigzag in the sky above.
Exertional rhabdomyolysis, known as "rhabdo," is a serious medical condition brought on by physical exertion or even heat exposure, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and it has sidelined hundreds of US troops in recent years, prompting the military to look closely at how to spot it. Rhabdo occurs when damaged muscle tissues release proteins and electrolytes into the bloodstream, damaging organs.
Western troops may face deadlier fights in future wars. If helicopters can't fly medevac flights, the US Army's fallback for treating the wounded is a World War I approach: using soldiers as "walking blood banks." During a recent exercise on a German hillside, the Army and its allies and partners simulated enemy artilleryfire that resulted in tremendous soldier casualties. Without air superiority for flying evacuations for the injured or bringing in needed supplies, life-saving treatment had to be done right near the fight.