Military medical professionals tested in capstone Joint Emergency Medicine Exercise

The annual Joint Emergency Medicine Exercise concluded June 5 at Fort Hood.

Hosted by Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center, the large-scale, multi-service combat casualty care exercise trains and validates the skills of graduating residents from Army, Navy, and Air Force medical programs, combat medics, and international medical allies and partners.

Medical personnel were challenged with high-fidelity, realistic scenarios emphasizing Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC), prolonged field care techniques, and casualty evacuation procedures designed to replicate the demands of deployed and combat environments.

More than 100 personnel from CRDAMC's Graduate Medical Education (GME) Program and 32 combat medics participated in the exercise. For many of the residents, JEMX served as a capstone event ahead of their graduation later this month.

More than 16 Army Medical Departments, Joint Force, and allied medical programs supported the training, with numerous subject matter experts and III Armored Corps units that helped execute the complex exercise.

“Instructed by subject matter experts from across the Department of Defense—spanning conventional forces to Tier 1 Special Operations—the exercise leverages more than 700 combined years of combat medical experience,” said Maj. Jason Muise, emergency trauma nurse and exercise officer in charge. “This unparalleled pedigree ensures the next generation of military medical professionals is fully prepared to provide the lifesaving care our service members expect and deserve. Ultimately, JEMX generates combat-credible medical forces ready to face and defeat the next global threat.”

Muise credited years of collaboration and development for transforming the exercise into one of the military's premier medical readiness training events and highlighted the benefits participants gain from working alongside U.S. and allied partners.

“What began as a targeted initiative between the CRDAMC Department of Emergency Medicine and the Fort Hood Medical Simulation and Training Center has evolved into a tremendous force multiplier for U.S. and allied forces worldwide,” said Muise. “Today, the Joint Emergency Medicine Exercise serves as a premier training event, equipping newly graduated physicians, nurses and allied medical professionals with the tactical skills and mental agility required to succeed in deployed environments while providing a vital complement to traditional graduate medical education.”

Capt. Mathew Kilroe, an emergency medicine physician at CRDAMC, participated in JEMX before graduating from the GME program in 2024. Shortly after graduation, he deployed in support of combat operations, where he applied many of the skills gained during the exercise.

“JEMX emphasized rapid assessment and intervention in trauma care, coordination with evacuation assets, and adaptability in unpredictable prolonged field care environments,” said Kilroe. “These experiences directly translated to my deployment, where the ability to remain composed, prioritize effectively and deliver high-quality care in dynamic combat conditions was essential.”

Kilroe said the exercise also reinforced the importance of communication, interoperability and situational awareness—skills that proved critical while working alongside joint and coalition forces in an operational setting.

The exercise concluded with a comprehensive after-action review, allowing participants and cadre to evaluate performance, identify lessons learned and recommend improvements for future iterations. The feedback process is a key component of JEMX, ensuring the training continues to evolve alongside the changing demands of combat medicine. For many participants, the event marked the culmination of years of military medical education and training, providing a final opportunity to demonstrate their readiness to deliver lifesaving care in complex operational environments.