Hinds Today

U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chaired a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing to assess the readiness of the military health system. The focus was on the "peacetime effect," which Wicker described as an erosion of physician capability and expertise during peacetime that could lead to unnecessary casualties in wartime.

The hearing featured testimony from experts in military medicine, including Dr. Douglas Robb, a retired Air Force Lieutenant General and former director of the Defense Health Agency (DHA); Dr. Paul Friedrichs, a retired Air Force Major General and former Joint Staff Surgeon; and Dr. Jeremy Cannon, a retired Air Force Colonel and trauma surgeon currently at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

Wicker emphasized the need for reforms to address challenges facing military medical readiness before any major conflict arises. He noted that during peacetime, medical teams often focus on treating ordinary illnesses, leaving them unprepared when conflicts erupt.

To combat this issue, Congress had enacted reforms nearly a decade ago to refocus military medicine on combat casualty care and medical readiness. These included elevating DHA to a combat support agency responsible for all military hospitals and clinics while allowing military services to concentrate on their forces' medical readiness.

However, Wicker pointed out that opponents have delayed these reforms' implementation. In 2019, cuts to military medical personnel were made under the assumption that civilian hires could replace them—a move later deemed misguided during the COVID pandemic due to an accelerated national physician shortage.

Congress halted further reductions in 2020 after significant cuts had already reduced military hospitals' capabilities. This shift led more service members toward private sector care, increasing costs and reducing vital experience for military doctors.

Additionally, Wicker criticized the Department of Defense's refusal to request adequate funding for DHA since 2015, resulting in decreased budgets for military hospitals by nearly 12 percent. He cited water damage at Walter Reed as evidence of outdated infrastructure faced by global military medical teams.

Wicker called for witnesses to highlight bureaucratic delays within the Department of Defense that hinder preparations for potential future conflicts. He stressed that combat casualty care is crucial for ensuring service members receive optimal care when exposed to danger or injury.

"We cannot go back to the way things were before 2017," said Wicker. "We must stop scapegoating the Defense Health Agency." He urged adequate resource requests from the Department of Defense so its hospitals and clinics can be properly staffed and equipped for large-scale combat operations in future scenarios.

Ranking Member Reed was then recognized for his remarks following Wicker's statement.