What is Care Under Fire?

Care Under Fire refers to providing medical assistance while actively under hostile fire. This concept is crucial in combat scenarios where the threat to both the casualty and the caregiver is significant. During Care Under Fire, the priority is to maintain personal safety while attempting to provide the necessary life-saving interventions, predominantly focusing on controlling severe bleeding and ensuring that the casualty can be evacuated to a safer location.

This type of care emphasizes the need for rapid decision-making because the environment is dangerous, and any delay might result in further injury or death. The caregiver’s primary goal is often to ensure that the casualty can be moved to a more secure area, while also using whatever means available to stem life-threatening bleeding.

In contrast, other choices reflect scenarios that lack the urgency and danger associated with active combat. After evacuation, care is provided in a controlled environment, which is distinctly different from the immediate threats present during Care Under Fire. Assessment in a safe zone or basic first aid outside of combat do not encapsulate the critical and immediate context of delivering medical care under fire, where the risk to life is heightened and the approaches to care must be adapted to that reality.