The 9-line MEDEVAC is the NATO format for requesting evacuation of a casualty. Nine fields, fixed order. Knowing it cold saves lives — yours and your team's — because correct transmission cuts evacuation time and prepares the receiving medical chain.
Why a fixed order
Lines 1–5 let the dispatcher launch the asset. Lines 6–9 let the pilot and receiver plan the approach and triage. Skipping the order forces re-asks and wastes time.
9-LINE
| # | Field | Content |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Location — pick-up site | MGRS 6/8 digits. The location of wounding or collection point, NOT the hospital. |
| 2 | Calling frequency / callsign | Frequency and callsign of the station that will receive the MEDEVAC — often the TACP/CASEVAC controller, not the transmitting station. |
| 3 | Patients by precedence | Count by category: Urgent (A), Urgent Surgical (B), Priority (C), Routine (D), Convenience (E). |
| 4 | Special equipment | A=none, B=hoist, C=extraction equipment, D=ventilator. |
| 5 | Patients by status | L=litter, A=ambulatory. e.g. "2L, 1A". |
| 6 | Site security (wartime) | N=no enemy, P=possible enemy, E=enemy in area (possible armed escort), X=hot LZ (armed escort required). |
| 7 | LZ marking method | A=panel, B=pyrotechnic, C=smoke, D=none, E=other. Day and night differ. |
| 8 | Patient nationality/status | A=US military, B=US civilian, C=non-US military, D=non-US civilian, E=EPW. |
| 9 | NBC contamination / terrain | Wartime: N=nuclear, B=biological, C=chemical. Peacetime: terrain and LZ obstacles. |
Precedence (line 3)
| Code | Definition |
|---|---|
| A — Urgent | Evac within 1 hour — immediate life threat |
| B — Urgent Surgical | Evac within 1 hour with surgery |
| C — Priority | Within 4 hours — will worsen without treatment |
| D — Routine | Within 24 hours — stable |
| E — Convenience | Operationally convenient |
Realistic example
ZULU SIX, this is ALPHA TWO. 9-LINE MEDEVAC follows, over.
LINE 1: grid three-seven-uniform charlie-bravo eight-two-fife seven-zero-three.
LINE 2: frequency forty-seven-decimal-fife-zero-zero, callsign ALPHA TWO.
LINE 3: one Alpha.
LINE 4: Alpha, none.
LINE 5: one Litter.
LINE 6: Echo, hot LZ, drones overhead.
LINE 7: Charlie, red smoke on call.
LINE 8: Charlie, non-US military.
LINE 9: November, no contamination, treeline 30m north.
How copy, over.
Common mistakes
- Mixing Litter/Ambulatory — wrong asset loadout
- Skipping line 6 in hot scenarios — pilot needs to know about escort
- Green smoke marking when enemy has visibility — coordinate colour by radio
- Reporting hospital instead of pick-up — critical time loss
- Transmitting without the medic working on the casualty knowing MEDEVAC is being called
Lessons learned
On FPV-saturated fronts, heli/vehicle MEDEVAC is rarely possible. The real "MEDEVAC" is often a foot or light-vehicle extraction to a casualty collection point 2–5 km deep. Adapt the 9-line: line 1 may be the CCP, line 6 must flag FPV risk, line 7 avoids daylight smokes under UAV observation. Realistic precedence often slips from A to B due to extended evac times: know it to titrate resuscitation.