Toward a 21st-Century Medical Offset Strategy

Authors

George A. Barbee, Joint Medical Unit/Joint Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Benjamin J. Ingram, NATO Allied Special Operations Forces Command, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, Mons, Belgium

Abstract

In an era of multidomain threats and global instability, the U.S. military must develop a 21st-century medical offset strategy to maintain combat effectiveness and strategic superiority. This article proposes medical offset strategies—far-forward intervention, technological innovation, and international partnerships—as a transformative framework to achieve medical overmatch. These strategies aim to save lives, enhance combat power, and sustain military operations amid high-intensity, large-scale combat scenarios. Far-forward intervention ensures timely critical care on the battlefield; technological innovation integrates AI, autonomous systems, and new treatments to extend reach and efficiency; and allied coordination enhances interoperability and collective medical capacity. The article underscores that inaction can pose greater risks than timely action. Using real-world examples, it argues that calculated risks favor action and adaptation.

Recommended Citation

George A. Barbee & Benjamin J. Ingram, "Toward a 21st-Century Medical Offset Strategy," Joint Force Quarterly 117 (2nd Quarter 2025), 64-72, https://digitalcommons.ndu.edu/joint-force-quarterly/vol117/iss2/10.