US Army Improved First Aid Kit

Soldier with Improved First Aid Kit, 2005.

U.S. Army Improved First Aid Kit (2005)

Improved First Aid Kit (some NSNs in this image are incorrect)

For many years the first aid kit carried by individual soldiers was the Carlisle Dressing or Battle Dressing, little more than a bandage with which to attempt to stop bleeding. In 2005 the U.S. Army standardized the Improved First Aid Kit (IFAK), which, in conjunction with proper training, will greatly increase force effectiveness by increasing the potential of survival for combat casualties. Specifically, the kit provides enhanced capabilities for Self-Aid/Buddy-Aid to immediately treat the two most urgent medical crises faced by battlefield casualties:

• Exsanguinations (bleeding) from an extremity wound
• Airway occlusion

The Improved First Aid Kit began reaching soldiers in the firld in late 2005 and early 2006.

Components of the Improved First Aid Kit

The IFAK is a self-contained assembly in a MOLLE PALS utility pouch. The full kit is NSN 6545-01-530-0929 and its components are:

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