Using Combat Losses of Medical Personnel to Estimate the Value of Trauma Care in Battle: Evidence from World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan
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Authors
Rohlfs, Chris
Sullivan, Ryan
Treistman, Jeffrey
Deng, Ying
Subjects
Trauma care
Medic
Medical personnel
Military
Fatalities
Military success
Medic
Medical personnel
Military
Fatalities
Military success
Advisors
Date of Issue
2015
Date
Publisher
Routledge
Language
Abstract
This study investigates the effect that US medical personnel deaths in combat have on other unit deaths and ‘mili- tary success,’ which we measure using commendation medals as a proxy. We use a difference-in-differences identi- fication strategy, measuring the changes over time in these outcomes following the combat loss of a medic or doctor and comparing it to the changes following the combat loss of a soldier who is not a medic or doctor. We find that overall unit deaths decrease in the five or ten days following the deaths of medical personnel in Vietnam, Korea, and the Pacific theater in World War II (WWII). In contrast, the WWII European and North African results indicate that overall unit deaths rise following medical personnel deaths. We find no relationship between medical personnel deaths and other unit deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan. For Korea and the Pacific theater of WWII, our estimates suggest unit commendation medals decrease following the deaths of medical personnel. This pattern of evidence is consistent with a model in which units often halted aggressive tactical maneuvers and reduced pursuit of their military objectives until deceased medical personnel were replaced. The results for the other conflicts are mixed and show little connection between medical personnel deaths and commendation medals.
Type
Article
Description
The article of record as published may be found at https://doi.org/10.1080/10242694.2015.1005897
Series/Report No
Department
Organization
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
Sponsors
Funder
Format
26 p.
Citation
Rohlfs, Chris, et al. "Using combat losses of medical personnel to estimate the impact of trauma care in battle: Evidence from World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan." Defence and Peace Economics 26.5 (2015): 465-490.
Distribution Statement
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.