CASEVAC

CASEVAC is a shorthand word that means "casualty evacuation". This can apply to injured soldiers or civilians, and is used to denote the emergency patient evacuation of injured people from a combat zone. CASEVAC can be done by both ground and air. CASEVACs by air are almost exclusively done by helicopter. . CASEVAC aircraft are not necessarily equipped with specific life saving equipment or specially trained medical personnel. They are used as a primary means of getting a casualty back to another location were they can be treated by professional medical staff.

CASEVAC personnel have extensive medical training. Their primary purpose is to transport personnel from danger to the nearest appropriate medical facility, as quickly as possible. Trained in advanced life-saving techniques, CASEVAC is directly responsible for drastically reducing the casualty mortality rate in the Iraq war.

In the U.S. Military, the highest level of medical care available prior to a CASEVAC is from combat medics. These personnel are trained to stablize patients during very specific life-threatening situations, such as tension pneumothorax or severe bleeding, but lack equipment and training for any unusual or complex medical emergencies. A large percentage of soldiers in the U.S. Army are trained to be combat lifesavers.

In Australian military terminology, a CASEVAC refers to the evacuation of a small number of troops, usually just one.