Which statement best describes the sequence of care in Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) phases?

• A. Care Under Fire (CUF), Tactical Field Care (TFC), Tactical Evacuation Care (TEC)
• B. Triage, stabilization, evacuation
• C. Airway management, hemorrhage control, wound care
• D. Field triage, clinic care, hospital care

Answer: (A)

The sequence tested is how care is delivered on the battlefield as danger and access to the casualty change. Start with Care Under Fire, where the priority is to save life with immediate, high-impact interventions that can be done without increasing exposure to the provider—principally stopping life‑threatening bleeding with tourniquets or hemostatic dressings and other rapid actions. Once the danger level drops and you can move the casualty to a safer location, you move into Tactical Field Care. In this phase you perform a fuller assessment and provide more comprehensive care, including airway support as needed, continued hemorrhage control with more complete dressings or devices, chest seals if indicated, wound care, splinting, and initial monitoring. Finally, during Tactical Evacuation Care, care continues as the casualty is evacuated; the focus is on stabilizing for transport, maintaining airway and breathing, ongoing bleeding control, ongoing monitoring, and preparation for handoff to higher-level care.

This order makes sense because you must first address the most time-sensitive threat in the harshest environment (life-threatening bleeding under fire) before you can safely perform more detailed care, and then continue stabilization and advanced care during evacuation when you have the opportunity to transport to definitive care. The other options describe general triage or care settings, or list treatment steps rather than the actual phased sequence used in TCCC.