Unlike the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, where US aircraft could typically fly anywhere without substantial risk, future conflicts will almost certainly see threats to planes and helicopters that make it difficult to quickly evacuate wounded troops. Bringing the life-saving capability of the 555th and units like it as close to the front lines as possible could be the difference between life and death.
Doing that, however, could also mean creating a target for an enemy and further exposing medical troops to threats of constant drone attacks. One solution the Army is trying is using makeshift underground spaces like the one employed for this exercise.
“The new assumption moving forward is, it’s possible to be in contact with enemy forces regardless of your position if you’re deployed,” George Barros, director of innovation and open-source tradecraft at the Institute for the Study of War told CNN. “There’s not going to be a permanently safe ‘Green Zone’ like in the GWOT (Global War on Terror) days, because the adversary’s ability to reach out persistently has grown substantially.”
