INTRODUCTION Exclusion criteria: all practice jumps, helicopter opera- tions, assault landings and clandestine operations. The first massive involvement of the French Airborne Troops in a conflict took place during the Indochina war. Method It was remarkable both in terms of the number of para- troopers involved, and the amount of airborne operations All the airborne operations carried out since 1967 were carried out (250). The battalions always jumped with a compiled from the chains of command reports, articles, medical team. Airborne surgical teams (AST, are close to and mainly the verbatim accounts of the doctors and the Forward resuscitative surgicalsystem: 12 peoples military personnel who took part in the operations. including 2 surgeons and 1 anesthesiologist/resuscitator) were involved when the size or isolation of troops made The data were recorded on an Excel® 97 worksheet for it necessary (27 combat jumps during the campaign).1 statistical analysis. The jumps on Suez, with over 1000 paratroopers, in RESULTS November 1956, were the last major airborne operations, Numbers of jumps and also the last AST jump.2 The airborne operation of the 2ndForeign parachute Sixty-seven combat jumps were carried out since January 1st 1967, according to the employment defini- regiment on Kolwezi, in May 1978, was an opportunity tion of the French airborne troops.7 for the paratroopers to prove their worth in an ever- evolving world. However, it also showed that when From zero to 20 jumps were recorded every year (20 in they are under employed, paratroopers necessarily lose 2015, 30.3% of all the jumps). The repartition over the some of their skills; while medical support proved to be period studied shows that 11 jumps (16.5%) were done reduced to a “bare minimum” with regards to the between 1967 and the end of 2012, and 56 (83.5%) amount paratroopers involved.3 since 2013 (figure 1). Since 2013, after decades of being relatively underused, Military objectives of the airborne operations the French involvement in the Sahel region has shown the importance of the 3rddimension when thorough The objectives were set as broadly as possible. Thirty- action is needed4, 5 seven jumps were recorded for direct action missions, . In the past years, the Airborne military health service 25 for intelligence/special reconnaissance missions, 2 (AMHS) staffs have continued their training and their for military engineering missions, 2 shows of force, 2 reflexion on how to improve their medical support, so as6 airborne combat search and rescue (ACSAR) missions to maintain a high level of expertise and a pool of compe- after catastrophes (1 cyclone and 1 terrorist attack) and tent people. This proactive strategy has made it possible to 1 drop zone reconnaissance and marking. meet the recent requirements during operations. Types of jumps This paper proposes an analyze on 50 years of French Altogether 17 SL jumps were carried out, 50 MFF jumps armed forces airborne operations, from a medical point (49 high altitude and 1 very high altitude). Among those of view. We shall analyze all the jumps, focusing on the jumps, 11 were done by day (9 SL, 2 MFF) and 58 by night support provided, depending on the types of jumps (8 SL, 48 MFF (47 high altitude, 1 very high altitude). and the missions. We shall assess the number and nature of the wounded.We shallthen analyze theNumber of paratroopers engaged impact of the evacuations on the rest of the operations so as to be able to learn from them and continue to Altogether, 3035 paratroopers were dropped (2099 SL, offer to the commanding officers the quality of sup- 936 MFF (921 high altitude, 15 very high altitude). port required to launch risky operations while ensuring The number of paratroopers who did SL jumps varied a maximum security. from 7 to 703 men and from 6 to 56 for MFF jumps. MATERIAL AND METHOD Number of wounded recorded Material Out of the 67 airborne operations, 25 jumps resulted in We shall study all the airborne operations carried out by casualties (11 out 17 were SL and 14 out of the 50 MFF). the French armed forces between January 1 st1967 and Seventy-nine casualties were recorded, i.e. 2.47% of all December 31 st2017. These jumps were static line (SL), or the paratroopers dropped,included 60 wounded Military free fall (MFF) jumps. MFF jumps are divided during SL jumps (2.86% of SL paratroopers) and 19 into two categories in French airborne troops: high alti- during MFF jumps (2.02% of MFF paratroopers), 5 of tude (under 3600m/12000ft) and very high altitude whom were tandem passengers. (above 3600m, on oxyge)n. Inclusion criteria: all the combat jumps conducted by Types of injuries VOL. the 11th Airborne brigade (11eAB) and the Special They have been divided into 9 types so as to be easily 94/3 Forces (SF). analysed (table 1). International Review of the Armed Forces Medical Services 8 Revue Internationale des Services de Santé des Forces Armées