Revolutionizing Military Medicine: The Role of POCUS Training
- Ben K
- Aug 17, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Jan 9
By Ben Krynski, CEO of BlueRoom Simulations
The use of a point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) device was recently demonstrated inside the BlueRoom Mixed Reality Simulator. This marks a significant advancement in how military medics approach POCUS training, aeromedical simulation, and ultrasound education. Instead of relying on traditional methods like classroom lectures, manikins, or even virtual reality, this demonstration showed that medics can now learn to use ultrasound in immersive operational environments. They can work with real devices, experience simulated stress, and handle realistic patients.
Why Ultrasound Matters for Military Medicine
Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has become a critical tool in military and emergency medicine. Its ability to provide real-time diagnostic information on the battlefield or inside an aircraft can mean the difference between life and death.
Medics use ultrasound to:
Detect internal bleeding.
Identify collapsed lungs.
Guide fluid resuscitation.
Monitor cardiac function.
Support triage decisions during mass-casualty incidents.
Ultrasound is particularly valuable for triaging patients and deciding who requires aeromedical evacuation versus those who can wait for road transport or the next available aircraft.
The Challenge of POCUS Training
Learning ultrasound is not easy. POCUS training involves three core competencies:
Probe handling – manipulating the device correctly to capture diagnostic images.
Image interpretation – learning to understand and interpret what is seen on the screen.
Clinical integration – knowing what to do with what you see.
Traditional ultrasound training methods fall short in preparing medics for combat or aeromedical environments:
Classroom training cannot simulate the realities of combat or an aircraft.
Hospital rotations expose medics to real patients but lack exposure to combat or aeromedical environments.
Manikins cannot replicate the feeling of a real human or the stress of an actual mission.
BlueRoom + Ultrasound: A Perfect Match
The BlueRoom Mixed Reality Simulator is designed to immerse trainees in the exact operational settings where they’ll deliver care: the back of a C-130 Hercules, a UH-60 Black Hawk, or in combat.
Unlike virtual reality systems, BlueRoom allows trainees to:
See and use their own hands.
Work with real medical equipment.
Treat live role-players or manikins within a synthetic environment.
Experience stressors like vibration, noise, and cramped conditions.
The Photos: A CEO Becomes the “Dummy”
During the demonstration, Ben Krynski, CEO of BlueRoom, stepped in as a patient. He lay on the ground next to the manikin while a medic performed an eFAST assessment using a real ultrasound device. This took place while immersed on board a C-130J in flight.
Why This Approach to Ultrasound Training Is Revolutionary?
1. Realism Without Risk
POCUS training in BlueRoom allows medics to make mistakes and learn in a safe environment. No patients are harmed, but the training is as close to reality as possible.
2. Use of Real Equipment
Unlike VR simulation, medics use the actual ultrasound devices they’ll deploy with. The probe, the screen, and the ergonomics are all identical to the real-world experience.
3. Immersion in Aeromedical Simulation
The simulator places them in the exact aircraft or combat environment they’ll work in. That means cramped spaces, background noise, and the operational feel of a real aeromedical/combat mission.
4. Scalable and Cost-Effective
Instead of relying on rare hospital rotations or manikins, forces can deliver consistent ultrasound training at scale. BlueRoom scenarios can be run anywhere in the world.
5. Coalition Interoperability
Since ultrasound is now standard across NATO and allied forces, aeromedical simulation in BlueRoom ensures interoperability. US Air Force medics, RAF medics, and German Air Force aeromedical crews can all train to the same standard.
Traditional Training vs BlueRoom POCUS Training
To see the difference, let’s compare methods:
| Method | Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|
| Classroom | Teaches theory and skills | No access to the realism of the real world |
| Hospital Rotations | Exposure to patients | Unable to replicate the real-world operating environments. |
| Manikins | Controlled repetition | Unrealistic anatomy, unable to reproduce real-world environments. |
| BlueRoom Aeromedical Simulation | Real devices, immersive settings, scalable training | None of the above limitations |
This demonstration marks the first time BlueRoom Mixed Reality Simulator has been used for ultrasound training.
