AOL News October 20, 2010
Roadside Bombs Less Lethal for Today's Troops
By Katie Drummond
Roadside bomb attacks are still deadly and all-too-common in Afghanistan, but the Pentagon says fewer troops than ever are succumbing to injuries that would have been life-threatening only a few years ago.
That's mostly because of better war-zone medical care and quicker transport offered by medevac helicopters, according to a new report issued by Defense Department officials.
In September, attacks from 180 improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, killed 24 American troops, compared with 46 troops killed by 131 IEDs during September 2009.
In 2008, Defense Secretary Robert Gates prioritized efforts to hasten medical care for wounded troops. Since then, more helicopters have been deployed overseas to transport the injured from combat areas to hospitals.
But IEDs are still the military's biggest threat and are responsible for two-thirds of troop fatalities in Afghanistan. They're also still a favored insurgent tactic, with a record number of IEDs detected and detonated in July.
Even as the military adapts its trauma care to respond to IED attacks, it's still struggling to cope with the long-term injuries that surviving troops now face in increasing numbers.
Lost limbs, serious burn injuries and traumatic brain injuries are only three potential consequences of surviving an IED attack. Military-funded medical research has made rapid strides in those areas, with neurally wired prosthetic limbs entering human trials and Army officials touting a simple blood test that might detect traumatic brain injuries even before symptoms appear.
But experts also warn that the American military isn't the only group making progress. Insurgents are developing deadlier IEDs in response to the military's enhanced detection capabilities and medical advances.
"We learn and they learn," John Pike, the director of GlobalSecurity.org, told the Australian Associated Press. "It's an interactive process. They are learning what kind of IEDs work and which don't."
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