Future of battlefield medicine showcased at 2026 Military Health System Research Symposium
Driving rapid capability development for the front line, team members from the Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Medical Products (PAE-MP) highlighted critical medical solutions during the annual Military Health System Research Symposium in Kissimmee, Florida, Aug. 3 – Aug. 6, 2026.
The 2026 MHSRS, an annual three-and-a-half-day educational symposium drawing approximately 3,700 attendees, is the premier military meeting focusing specifically on the unique medical needs of the deployed Warfighter. It provides a collaborative setting for the exchange of information between military providers with deployment experience, research and academic scientists, international partners, and industry.
At the forefront of this collaboration is PAE-MP, part of the Defense Health Agency’s Research, Development, and Acquisition (AD-RDA)/Component Acquisition Executive office. PAE-MP includes five critical project management offices (PMO): Warfighter Expeditionary Medicine and Treatment (WEMT PMO); Warfighter Protection and Acute Care (WPAC PMO); Warfighter Readiness, Performance, and Brain Health (WRPBH PMO); Medical Simulation and Training (MST PMO); and Medical Devices and Equipment (MDE PMO).
“Our mission within PAE-MP is to rapidly identify, develop, and field life-saving technologies that directly support our service members,” said Caitlyn Felkoski, acting Portfolio Acquisition Executive for PAE-MP. “We are focused on filling capability gaps across the entire spectrum of combat casualty care, ensuring that our medics have the tools they need to operate in remote, austere environments during large-scale combat operations.”
Throughout the symposium, PAE-MP experts showcased novel medical solutions designed to meet the treatment needs of military medical providers in far-forward, remote, and austere environments. Current development programs and projects align directly with the core event focus areas of Warfighter Medical Readiness, Expeditionary Medicine, Warfighter Performance, and Warfighter Return to Duty.
The necessity of these advancements was echoed by Department of War leadership during the event’s plenary sessions.
“Future large-scale combat operations will test our ability to deliver lifesaving care across vast distances, in contested environments, and often under prolonged evacuation timelines,” said Assistant Secretary of War for Health Affairs Keith Bass. Every conversation, connection, and collaboration made during the week “[has the] potential to advance military medicine … drive military medical innovation … and transform research into better care for those who serve.”
A major highlight of the symposium for PAE-MP occurred when the Canine Freeze-Dried Plasma (cFDP) development team was honored with the MHSRS Outstanding Program Management (Team) award. This prestigious recognition underscores the critical, life-saving impact of their efforts in developing cFDP for battlefield use.
Military working dogs are vital members of the Joint Force and providing them with point-of-injury blood products has historically presented significant logistical challenges. The cFDP team successfully spearheaded the development of a portable, shelf-stable, and highly effective plasma solution specifically formulated for canine casualties, directly addressing a critical capability gap at the front lines.
“Delivering this capability means that our military working dogs, who face the exact same battlefield risks as our human warfighters, now have a significantly higher chance of survival following severe injury,” Felkoski added. “The cFDP program perfectly exemplifies how targeted research and agile acquisition can deliver user-friendly, portable solutions that save lives wherever the Joint Force operates.”
Disclaimer: This information includes elements of AI-generated content, which were reviewed and edited by relevant DoW personnel to verify appropriateness and compliance with DoW policies and guidance.
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