There's a "backstory" to modern combat. Due to better technology in body armor and evac procedures, there are more survivors, but more with severe extremity wounds. In Vietnam, one in three soldiers injured in combat died from wounds. In Iraq, it's one in eight, but the injuries are more severe due to hi velocity bullets, RPGs and IEDs. In response, the military has approved the use of nerve block anethesia in the field instead of the SOP of using general anethesia morphine.