Preparing the Military Radiologist of the Future

On Veterans Day, the ACR® Military Radiology Committee honors the generations of Americans whose service has sustained our nation through times of war and peace. We not only honor those who served on the front lines, but also those whose contributions occurred in field hospitals, specifically in diagnostic imaging.

Military medicine has always depended on bringing the right expertise to the place where it can make the greatest difference. Radiologists and radiologic technologists are part of that mission. Their work often occurs behind the scenes, but the images they acquire and interpret, the diagnoses they help establish, and the decisions they inform can influence whether an injured service member receives the timely and appropriate care. 

Future conflicts may challenge when and where advanced imaging is available, and how that care is delivered when traditional medical infrastructure is limited. In those austere environments, the combat radiologist can become a force multiplier, extending diagnostic expertise across the continuum of care when time, resources and access are constrained.

Veterans Day is therefore not only an opportunity to honor those who have served.  This day can also remind us to have an eye towards preparing the next generation of military radiologists and technologists for wherever they may someday be called to serve.