Dr. Frank Butler, a pioneering innovator and former Navy SEAL, was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his groundbreaking work in tactical combat casualty care. His contributions have significantly improved battlefield trauma treatment, saving countless lives.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom, established by our Government, was established to recognize U.S. citizens who have performed exemplary deeds of service for our nation. Past recipients include Hank Aaron, Muhammed Ali, Bob Dole, Robert Gates and Colin Powell. At a White House Ceremony on January 2, 2025, President Biden added Dr. Frank Butler and 19 others to the list.The announcement included this citation: “As a pioneering innovator, Navy SEAL, and leader in dive medicine, Dr.
Frank Butler introduced Tactical Combat Casualty Care to the medical world that set new standards for tourniquet use not only for injuries in war but injuries across daily civilian life. He has transformed battlefield trauma care for the United States military and saved countless lives.” Dr. Butler’s career path was unusual, even by the standards of military medicine. A Navy SEAL platoon commander before he became a doctor, Butler’s first medical assignment was with the Navy’s Experimental Diving Unit, where he tested equipment and helped design diving protocols used by navies and special operations forces around the globe. After completing a Navy residency in ophthalmology and practicing for a few years, he returned to the Special Operations community as Biomedical Research Director for the Naval Special Warfare Command, overseeing the health of personnel during training and ensuring that all SEALs were fit for any mission. In the early 1990s, he grew interested in improving trauma care on the battlefield. Most combat fatalities die instantly or succumb to their injuries before they reach a medical facility. Because all were thought to be unsalvageable, they were classified as “killed in action” (KIA). As a result, battlefield treatment barely changed for 130 years. Dr. Butler knew better. He believed that improving battlefield care could boost survival rates. To translate this idea into action, he and like-minded colleagues devised guidelines to address rapid bleeding, airway compromise, and other immediate life threat
PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM DR FRANK BUTLER BATTLEFIELD TRAUMA TACTICAL COMBAT CASUALTY CARE NAVY SEAL
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