Military First Aid Kit (IFAK): What Should Be Included in a Soldier’s Individual First Aid Kit

In modern warfare, the statistics are relentless: most preventable deaths occur due to massive bleeding in the first minutes after injury. That is why a military first aid kit is not a formal piece of equipment, but a personal life-saving tool that a soldier must know how to use independently or to provide assistance to a fellow soldier.

In the armies of NATO countries, such a kit is called an IFAK (Individual First Aid Kit), and in the Armed Forces of Ukraine — AMZI (individual general military medical first aid kit). Its contents are strictly regulated and built around a clear sequence of actions verified by combat experience.

In this material, we will examine what exactly should be included in a military first aid kit under official standards, why each item is needed, and why it is fundamentally different from an ordinary home first aid kit. All information is based on data from the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine and international tactical medicine protocols.

What a military first aid kit (IFAK) is and what makes it special

An individual service member’s first aid kit is a mandatory piece of equipment issued by the state to every defender. According to the Ministry of Defence, its contents are regulated by Ministry of Defence Order No. 506 of July 24, 2024, which established the transition of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to tactical medicine standards based on the best practices of foreign partners and Ukraine’s own wartime experience.

The key difference between a military and a household first aid kit lies in its purpose. A home or vehicle first aid kit (for example, one based on Red Cross recommendations) is intended for everyday injuries: scratches, burns, headaches. A military first aid kit is designed for one main task — to save a life in the event of a combat injury, primarily by stopping critical bleeding before a medic arrives or evacuation takes place.

The AMZI contents are as close as possible to the international IFAK standard used by the armies of NATO member countries and fully cover the stages of care under the TCCC (Tactical Combat Casualty Care) protocol.

The MARCH protocol: the logic according to which the first aid kit is assembled

To understand the contents of a military first aid kit, it is first necessary to understand the MARCH algorithm — the sequence of actions when providing assistance to a wounded person in extreme conditions. Each letter represents a life-threatening condition in order of danger: what kills the fastest is addressed first.

Table 1. The MARCH algorithm — the basis of the TCCC protocol according to which the first aid kit contents are assembled.

That is why the contents of the first aid kit are not random: each item corresponds to a specific step of this algorithm. The greatest attention is given to the letter “M” — massive bleeding, since it is the leading cause of preventable deaths on the battlefield.

Military first aid kit contents: the complete list under the AMZI standard

Below is the functional composition of the first aid kit according to the regulations of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, grouped by purpose.

1. Means for stopping massive bleeding

This is the heart of the first aid kit and its most important part.

• Tourniquets — 2 units. Windlass-type hemostatic tourniquets for stopping critical bleeding from the limbs. Two units are required based on the experience of modern conflicts, where multiple injuries require more equipment than earlier standards provided for.
• Hemostatic agents — 2 units. Wound-packing bandages containing a chemical substance that accelerates blood clotting. They are used to stop junctional bleeding (groin, armpit, neck), where a tourniquet cannot be applied, as well as for tourniquet conversion.
• Compression supplies. An elastic bandage with an absorbent pad (at least 14 cm) and compressed gauze bandages for wound packing and applying pressure dressings.

A tourniquet and hemostatic bandage — means for stopping massive bleeding, step “M” of the MARCH protocol.

2. Care for chest and eye injuries

• • Occlusive (thoracic) chest seals — one pair. Gel-based airtight dressings, at least one of them vented, for providing care in cases of open pneumothorax (penetrating chest injury).

• Rigid eye shield. Protects the eye in cases of penetrating injury, preventing further pressure and deformation of the eyeball.

3. Pain relief and antibiotic (pill-pack)

A pharmacological kit, or “pill-pack,” is the global standard of battlefield care when a qualified medic is not nearby. According to the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, it contains:

• Antibiotic (Moxifloxacin or Levofloxacin) — for preventing wound infection.
• Pain relief medication (Paracetamol, Meloxicam) in tablet form.

Important: the list and dosage of medications are established by regulations, and they should be used only in accordance with the protocol and existing contraindications.

4. Auxiliary supplies and prevention of hypothermia

• Emergency blanket (isothermal blanket). Protects the wounded person from hypothermia — critically important because hypothermia impairs blood clotting (step “H” in MARCH).
• Trauma shears. For quickly cutting through clothing and equipment to access the wound.
• Nitrile gloves. Protection for the person providing assistance.
• Fabric-backed adhesive tape. For securing dressings and supplies.

5. Casualty card (Form No. 002/o)

An often underestimated but critically important item. It is a specialized medical form made of moisture-resistant synthetic material that is resistant to damage and liquids. According to the Ministry of Defence, it performs three functions:

• Recording procedures — it is completed with a waterproof marker (also included in the first aid kit) directly on the battlefield.
• Information support — it records the time the tourniquet was applied, the anatomical areas affected, and the medications administered.
• Basis for digitalization — the data from the card becomes the basis for the electronic Primary Medical Record (ePMR), which prevents information loss during evacuation and serves as legal confirmation of injury for social guarantees.

This is a direct implementation of the NATO Triage Tag principle — mandatory casualty labeling and documentation of care to ensure continuity of medical treatment.

Compliance with international standards (TCCC and NATO)

The Ukrainian AMZI first aid kit is not merely a set of supplies, but a systematic tool that meets the requirements of the Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care (CoTCCC). The requirements for dimensions and characteristics — bandage length, the presence of a valve on the occlusive dressing, and the tourniquet type — are effectively identical to NATO requirements.

According to international recommendations, a minimum CoTCCC-compatible IFAK contains: a tourniquet, hemostatic bandage, pressure dressing, a pair of vented chest seals, a nasopharyngeal airway, compressed gauze, nitrile gloves, trauma shears, a marker, and an emergency blanket. The Ukrainian kit not only corresponds to this list but also reinforces it with two tourniquets and two hemostatic agents instead of one.

Military first aid kit versus household first aid kit: what is the difference

To clearly demonstrate the difference in approaches, let us compare the two kit assembly principles.

• Household first aid kit (according to the Red Cross): adhesive bandages, antiseptic wipes, bandages, pain relief medication, scissors, gloves, thermometer. The purpose is minor injuries and stabilization until an ambulance arrives.
• Military first aid kit (IFAK/AMZI): tourniquets, hemostatic agents, chest seals, hypothermia-control supplies. The purpose is to stop life-threatening bleeding and stabilize a combat injury before evacuation.

The main conclusion: a household first aid kit does not replace a military one. Having a factory-made, certified tourniquet and knowing how to use it saves lives where an ordinary bandage is powerless.

Several important rules for use

• Carry the first aid kit on your body, not in a backpack. Access to it must be immediate and possible with one hand.
• Know the location of the supplies. The arrangement should be standardized within the unit so that a fellow soldier can use your first aid kit.
• Use only certified supplies. Cheap tourniquet copies may break under load — this is life-threatening.
• Complete training. A first aid kit without tactical medicine skills is ineffective. Regular training is mandatory.
• Monitor the expiration dates of medications and hemostatic agents and promptly replace used supplies.

Conclusion

A modern military first aid kit is a high-tech, standardized tool, each item of which has a clearly defined purpose in the MARCH life-saving algorithm. From two tourniquets and hemostatic agents to chest seals and a casualty card — everything serves one purpose: to give a soldier a chance to survive until qualified assistance is available.

But even the best standard works only when every defender physically has a first aid kit and it is equipped with high-quality supplies. This is where support from the rear is critically important.

Join the “Medicines for the Military 2.0” fundraiser

Every fully equipped first aid kit and every tourniquet is a real chance of survival for our defender. The People’s Project foundation purchases tactical medical supplies, tourniquets, hemostatic bandages, and medicines and delivers them to the front. You can support the fundraiser via the link:

Support the “Medicines for the Military 2.0” fundraiser