When would you perform tactical field care?

• A. When No Longer Under Direct Enemy Fire
• B. While Under Direct Enemy Fire
• C. After Hospital
• D. During Medical Screening

Answer: (A)

Tactical Field Care is the level of care you provide once you’re no longer under direct enemy fire. The goal is to perform a more thorough, time-consuming assessment and treatment in a hostile environment, stabilizing injuries and preparing the patient for evacuation. In this phase you can systematically check airway, breathing, and circulation; control bleeding; apply dressings and splints; establish IV access if available; manage shock; and organize the evacuation plan, all while still operating under tactical considerations. Performing this while still under direct fire isn’t feasible because you need the safety to conduct a careful assessment and definitive care. It wouldn’t happen after hospital or during medical screening, since those contexts occur outside the field care sequence.