An Analysis of US Africa and Indo-Pacific Commands Military Working Dog Medical Transportation, 2008-2018

Abstract

Military working dogs (MWD) deploy with diverse tasks. Given significant utilization in Central Command (CENTCOM) for combat operations, the majority of MWD medical literature centers on combat trauma from this theater. Other commands, to include Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) and Africa Command (AFRICOM) utilize MWDs for low-intensity operations. To date, there is no analysis of medical evacuations of MWDs from the INDOPACOM and AFRICOM theaters. We seek to analyze MWD medical evacuations from these theaters utilizing the Transportation Command (TRANSCOM) Regulating and Command and Control Evacuation System (TRAC2ES).

Methods: We performed a retrospective review of all TRAC2ES medical records for MWD medical evacuations from the INDOPACOM and AFRICOM theaters conducted between January 2008 and December 2018. We abstracted free text data entry in TRAC2ES for diagnostic and therapeutic interventions performed prior to movement requests.

Results: MWD evacuations constituted 0.2% (n=10) of 4,217 documented medical evacuations from INDOPACOM and 0.3% (n=3) of 962 individually documented medical evacuations from AFRICOM. Most were routine precedence (n=8). All MWDs were evacuated for disease and non-battle injury including bone (n=4) and dental (n=2) fractures. Some had more than one provisional diagnosis and/or poly trauma. Analgesia was the most common intervention prior to evacuation (n=4).

Conclusions: MWDs accounted for a small proportion of TRAC2ES evacuations in AFRICOM and INDOPACOM theaters from 2008-2018, most due to non-battle traumatic injuries. Future studies should consider more focused MWD medical evaluations in these theaters to develop a broader understanding of medical treatment trends.

Keywords: canine; evacuation; transport; trauma.