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Digital medical tool enhances patient care during African Lion 26

U.S. Soldiers assigned to both the 946th Forward Resuscitative Surgical Detachment, 810 Hospital Center, 5th Medical Brigade, 3rd Theater Medical Command, and the 173rd Mobile Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), receive instructions on the Battlefield Assisted Trauma Distribution Observation Kit-Joint application during African Lion 26 at Cap Draa, Tan-Tan, Morocco, April 29, 2026. The exercise gave service members an opportunity to test artificial intelligence-powered and autonomous platforms, remote systems, and emerging technologies across attack, defense and mission command operations. The experimentation accelerated target detection, shortened decision timelines and delivered cost-effective warfighting solutions aligned with African partner priorities. AL26 is U.S. Africa Command's largest annual joint exercise, designed to strengthen collective security capabilities of the U.S., African nations and global allies. Led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) from April 20 to May 8, 2026, and hosted in Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia, AL26 involves over 5,600 personnel from more than 40 nations, using innovation to drive partner-led regional security. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Marley Kamara)

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Photo by: Pfc. Marley Kamara 

TAN-TAN, Morocco – U.S. military medical personnel are leveraging a digital application to improve patient care and documentation during African Lion 26 at Cap Draa, Tan-Tan, Morocco, April 29, 2026.

The Battlefield Assisted Trauma Distribution Observation Kit–Joint, also known as BATDOK-J, is a mobile application designed to streamline medical documentation in deployed environments. The system is being utilized by medical teams, including support from the 946th Forward Resuscitative Surgical Detachment, to enhance continuity of care across multiple levels of treatment.

The 946th FRSD personnel are providing critical medical support throughout the exercise while integrating emerging technologies like BATDOK-J into their workflow.

According to Sabrina Hatchett, an augmentee with Air Force Medical Command’s Surgeon General 6, the application allows providers to document patient care efficiently in both online and offline environments.

“BATDOK is an application that works as patient documentation,” Hatchett said. “It’s a mobile tool that helps providers and technicians document quickly so that paper records don’t get lost, and we try to eliminate the human element of error.”

The application syncs with the operational medical data store, a cloud based system that stores patient information and integrates with Military Health System GENESIS, the Department of War’s electronic health record system. This capability enables seamless information sharing as patients move through different levels of care.

“If someone is documented at the point of injury and then moved to another level of care, the incoming provider can already see what documentation has been done,” Hatchett said. “That should help save time and, hopefully, save lives.”

U.S. Army Capt. Ashwin Venkataraman, a medical officer in charge assigned to 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Mobile Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), said the application also improves continuity of care in resource limited environments.

“This information is centralized and can be pulled from anywhere there’s an internet connection,” Venkatraman said. “The patient record will follow the patient electronically instead of relying on paper forms that can get lost or misfiled.”

Hatchett emphasized the importance of accurate documentation in both immediate care and long-term outcomes.

“If it’s not documented, it didn’t happen,” she said. “This helps ensure patients get the care they deserve, both in the moment and later on.”

AL26is U.S. Africa Command's largest annual joint exercise, designed to strengthen collective security capabilities of the U.S., African nations and global allies. Led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) from April 20 to May 8, 2026, and hosted in Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia, AL26 involves over 5,600civilian and military personnel from more than 40 nations, using innovation to drive partner-led regional security.