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NEWS | Feb. 22, 2023

Borden Institute releases historical Battle of Antietam publication

By Ernest J. Barner Borden Institute Public Affairs

The Borden Institute, an agency of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, Medical Center of Excellence, at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston officially released “Combat Readiness Through Medicine at the Battle of Antietam” as a part of the Textbooks of Military Medical History series Feb. 2.

This publication highlights important medical innovations and improvements gained from the deadliest day in U.S. history, the Battle of Antietam, which was fought Sept. 17, 1862, between Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and Union Gen. George B. McClellan's Army of the Potomac near Sharpsburg, Maryland and Antietam Creek.

This pivotal U.S. Civil War battle helped shape future combat medical readiness practices in the U.S. Army.

The Battle of Antietam provides important lessons in battlefield tactics, leadership, command and control, communications, and unit training that improved the nation’s readiness to bring combat power to commanders in the field of battle.

The foreword for this publication was written by Lt. Gen. Raymond S. Dingle, U.S. Army Surgeon General. Scott C. Woodard, the current U.S. Army Medical Department Center of History and Heritage historian, was the senior consultant for this distinctive historical publication.

“Antietam was the deadliest battle in American history, but also served as the ‘pilot’ program of much needed reform in the Army Medical Department,” Woodard said.

“Maj. Jonathan Letterman served as the Medical Director of the Army of the Potomac, but what he implemented also applies to any person responsible for treating the wounded whether a civilian ambulance driver, county emergency room physician, Army battalion surgeon, or Navy nurse,” Woodard said, when asked how the Battle of Antietam has shaped today’s military prehospital healthcare.

While not all ideas were original, Letterman successfully implemented concepts that we take for granted today in planning for health service support. It was during this battle that the U.S. Army solidified its emerging plan to decisively combat battlefield mortality, which marked the beginning of true combat readiness through medicine.

“Preplanned placement of forward surgical treatment, battlefield triage, medical logistics management, and dedicated ambulance support with specifically trained crews are just a few of the tools we use to increase combat power, and therefore readiness, in support of the combatant commander,” Woodard said. “Letterman’s legacy is lived every day in Army Medicine, but the whole world benefits from his influence.”

“Combat Readiness Through Medicine at the Battle of Antietam” highlights the foundation, evolution, and continued readiness commitment to Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines

Department of Defense personnel can request a complimentary copy by completing an order form at https://medcoe.army.mil/borden-combat-readiness-antietam. Click on “ordering information” to order books. In addition to the print version, this publication is also available in PDF format on the institute’s website at https://medcoeckapwstorprd01.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/pfw-images/dbimages/Antietam%20Clean%20PDF.pdf.