Does the Need Exist to Change the Existing Medical Assemblage Lifecycle Management Process in Order to Successfully Operate in Full-Spectrum Operation

Army Medical Department (AMEDD) after-action reviews emerging from healthcare professionals recently redeployed from Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom identified units deploying with insufficient or obsolete medical equipment in their assemblages. The contents of AMEDD sets, kits, and outfits were not optimal for full-spectrum operations. Medical materiel accommodation did not meet clinical demands resulting in upgrades on the fly often achieved by procurement and fielding outside traditional supply-procurement systems. A disparity exists between medical practices in full-spectrum operations and normally accepted standards of professional medical care. The rapid advance of medical science has caused a progressive shift of practice away from the static components held in AMEDD assemblages. This study answers the question: Does the need exist to change the existing medical assemblage lifecycle management process in order to successfully operate in full-spectrum operations? The study leads to the conclusion that the AMEDD must change its process, synchronize with commercial product lifecycles, and improve clinical acceptance. The current process, measured in terms of years, bears no relationship to the lifecycle of materiel. It is not agile, versatile or sustainable enough to keep pace with the ever-changing spectrum of operations and is not responsive to clinical demands, thus indicating diminished capability.