Combat medicine and blood preservation

James sits down with Brigadier Michael Reade from the Australian Defence Force (ADF) to discuss combat medicine and blood preservation. Above all, Brigadier Reade has a wide range of expertise and experience in this area. His ambition is to establish the ADF as a major contributor to military trauma research and to ensure the ADF’s policies, training and equipment lead world best-practice.

In this podcast, you will learn more about combat medicine and the interesting and varied career options in the Defence Force.

Summary Writer: Divya Iyer

Script Writer:  Carla Roscoe

Editor: Angus Pagett

Interviewee:  Michael Reade

Brigadier Reade holds the following positions:

Australian Defence Force Professor of Military Medicine and Surgery, Joint Health Command,

Assistant Surgeon General – Army,

Director of General Health Reserve-Army, and

Specialist Anaesthetist and Intensive Care Physician.

About Brigadier Michael Reade

Michael is the inaugural ADF Professor of Military Medicine and Surgery. This is a Defence-Industry co-operation position established in 2011 as part of a programme to increase the number of senior specialist doctors in the permanent ADF.

In addition, Michael is anaesthetist and intensive care physician. Also, he holds a clinical appointment at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital. Moreover, he has military appointments at Joint Health Command and Army Headquarters. Finally, Michael also holds an academic position as a Professor at the University of Queensland.

Brigadier Reade has first-class honours degrees in medicine and science from the University of Sydney. Additionally, he has a Doctorate of Philosophy in clinical molecular biology from the University of Oxford, UK. Finally, he has a Masters in Public Health, in statistics and clinical trials, from the University of Pittsburgh, USA.

Michael's contribution to the practice of intensive care medicine was recognised in 2017 with a Higher Doctorate from the University of Sydney. And in 2018, he received a Fellowship of the Royal Institution of Australia. He holds subspecialist qualifications in disaster management and aeromedical retrieval as part of his combat medicine expertise. His specialist clinical training began at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney. Then, the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, the Austin Hospital in Melbourne, and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Also, during his leave from the ADF, Michael worked as an attending critical care physician in Pittsburgh for 18 months.

Military history

Brigadier Reade was commissioned as a Reserve General Service Officer in 1990 through Sydney University Regiment. As a result, he received a Prince of Wales Award. Hence, he commanded a platoon of US Regular Army soldiers of the 2nd Armoured Division during their National Training Center rotation at Fort Irwin, CA. In 1995-1996, he was a project officer at the Reserve Staff Group. There, he analysed the employment of reserve medical personnel. In 1996 Michael completed medical studies and was posted as Regimental Medical Officer and instructor, University of NSW Regiment 1996-1997. This is where his journey in combat medicine began. And subsequently Sydney University Regiment 1997-1999. From 2000-2004, he was studying in Oxford. Whilst he was there, he was posted to 144 Parachute Medical Squadron RAMC(V).

When he returned from the UK he was a specialist anaesthetist in the Parachute Surgical Team of the 1st Health Support Battalion. He settled in Melbourne in 2007 and he became the OC Clinical Advisory Group, 3rd Health Support Battalion. Further, Michale is a graduate of the Logistic Officer and Land Warfare Centre Staff Officer series of courses. In addition, he also holds the British Army-sponsored diploma in conflict medicine. He has deployed to Bosnia and Kosovo on attachment to the British Airborne Brigade. He has also deployed to East Timor and the Solomon Islands.

NATO and ADF hospitals

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