Marines Introduce New Mobile Medical Systems to Support Extended Battlefield Care

The Marine Corps is preparing for a future battlefield where injuries remain the same, but rapid transport to a trauma hospital is often impossible. To address this challenge, the service is deploying new technologies such as mobile blood banks, ultrasounds, and self‑contained power sources to keep them operational.

This year, the Expeditionary Medical Refrigeration Unit (EMRU) and the Mobile Expeditionary Quad (MEQU) blood warmer were sent to U.S. Central Command. A unit established a continuous mobile blood bank and provided feedback to the Marine Corps on how to improve the system, officials told reporters during a recent media roundtable.

“The EMRU proved critical in maintaining a revolving blood bank, ensuring that injured service members receive the blood products they need,” said Navy Cmdr. Kyleigh Hupfl, clinic for Expeditionary Medical Systems.

The concept of the “golden hour”—the crucial period after a casualty that dramatically improves survival—will become far more complex in a near‑peer conflict. In future wars, sophisticated enemy surveillance and missile technology may delay or prevent medevac missions, forcing commanders to stabilize casualties on site for extended periods.

“We are moving beyond the golden hour toward longer patient‑care hold times,” explained Col. Paul Gillikin, program manager for Combat Support Systems. “In the Pacific, against a peer competitor, we will not have the developed forward operating bases, the full mobility, or the Iron Mountain support we once relied on.”

Severe bleeding remains the leading cause of battlefield fatalities, making on‑site hemorrhage control and blood transfusions essential.

“We need to extend cold‑chain blood distribution forward without heavy generators, and we must be able to warm that blood quickly to avoid worsening the patient’s condition,” Hupfl noted. “We also need real‑time imaging to detect continued bleeding, enabling commanders to assess whether an evacuation asset is worth the risk.”

The battery‑powered EMRU and its accompanying blood warmer serve as a mobile system that refrigerates blood products and then heats them to body temperature for rapid transfusions. Additionally, the Marine Corps is fielding the KOSMOS point‑of‑care ultrasound to assess internal bleeding and the Squad Power Manager medical kit variant to sustain all operations.

“We anticipate operating in distributed environments where evacuation may be delayed or contested,” said Brig. Gen. Tamara Campbell, deputy commander of Portfolio Acquisition Executive for the Marine Corps. “Our new equipment is designed to provide the necessary care regardless of evacuation timelines, ensuring that every service member—whether Marine, sailor, or soldier—receives the level of medical support required in any operating environment.”

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