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Biden Honors Navy SEAL Whose Innovations Transformed Battlefield Care

January 6, 2025
NavySEALs.com No Comments NSWC

The Presidential Citizens Medal, the second highest civilian award of our government, was established to recognize U.S. citizens who have performed “exemplary deeds of service for our nation.” Past recipients include Hank Aaron, Muhammed Ali, Bob Dole, Robert Gates and Colin Powell. At the White House on Jan. 2, President Biden added Navy Captain (Ret) Dr. Frank Butler and 19 others to this list.

The White House announcement explained his selection: “As a pioneering innovator, Navy SEAL, and leader in dive medicine, Dr. Frank Butler introduced Tactical Combat Casualty Care to the medical world that set new standards for tourniquet use not only for injuries in war but injuries across daily civilian life. He has transformed battlefield trauma care for the United States military and saved countless lives.”

From Navy SEAL To Navy Doctor

Dr. Butler’s career path was unusual, even by the standards of military medicine. A Navy SEAL platoon commander before he became a doctor, Butler’s first medical assignment was with the Navy’s Experimental Diving Unit, where he tested equipment and helped design diving protocols used by navies and special operations forces around the globe.

After completing a Navy residency in ophthalmology and practicing for a few years, he returned to the Special Operations community as biomedical research director for the Naval Special Warfare Command, overseeing the health of personnel during training and ensuring that all SEALs were fit for any mission. In the early 1990s, he grew interested in improving trauma care on the battlefield.

The Challenge Of Transforming Battlefield Care

Most combat fatalities die instantly or succumb to their injuries before they reach a medical facility. Because all were thought to be unsalvageable, they were classified as “killed in action” (KIA). As a result, battlefield treatment barely changed for 130 years.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/arthurkellermann/2025/01/03/biden-honors-military-healthcare-innovator-at-white-house-ceremony/

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