Prolonged Field Care Working Group Position Paper: Operational Context for Prolonged Field Care.

We propose a universal approach to operational planning and logistical preparation for prolonged field care (PFC) missions, in the form of four stages. We have been accustomed to view missions in terms of patient treatment stages, such as seen in Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC). This is less useful when planning for PFC because of the more comprehensive list of capabilities needed to consider across a wider spectrum of operational realities. Instead of echelons of patient care, we propose to use a system of mission or evacuation stages to simplify and standardize our language, using the following terminology: RUCK-TRUCK-HOUSEPLANE (RTHP). We believe that the RUCK-TRUCKHOUSE-PLANE format is useful, being simple as well as easily transferable and relatable, across all branches of service.