J Trauma
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Extensive United States combat operations commenced for the first time in over decade in 2003. Early in 2004 there was no human research protection regulatory review and approval mechanism based in a deployed military combatant command. The absence of such a system presented a critical impediment to implementation of the time-honored tradition of a robust combat casualty care research effort. ⋯ On July 20, 2005, the first DOD Assurance of Compliance for the Protection of Human Research Subjects was approved for MNC-I. This assurance allows the conduct of human subjects research in full compliance with all Federal, DOD, and Army regulatory requirements. This article describes that unique process.