Who is responsible for documenting a casualty's injuries and care on the DD Form 1380?

The responsibility for documenting a casualty's injuries and care on the DD Form 1380 falls to whoever is providing care at the point of injury. This individual is in the best position to accurately assess the casualties’ injuries and interventions administered immediately following the incident. This timely documentation is crucial in ensuring continuity of care as the casualty is evacuated to higher levels of medical treatment.

Recording this information can impact further treatment and decision-making in subsequent care facilities. The data on the DD Form 1380 also serves as an important communication tool between medical teams and can assist with tracking the casualty's medical history throughout their journey. This is especially important in a combat environment where rapid and accurate information transfer can influence outcomes.

While other personnel such as the medical officer, team leader, or evacuation personnel play critical roles in the overall care and management of casualties, their responsibilities typically do not include the primary on-scene documentation of injuries and immediate care provided, which is best handled by the first responder at the site of injury.