Page 73 - Journal of Special Operations Medicine - Winter 2014

where the average age of the respondent was older (37.4 Table 1 Study sample statistics
years old). Most respondents (82.7%) had completed Total respondents 334 (869)
SOCMSSC and NTMs (87.4%), but less than one-half
had completed an MPT (46.7%). There was no difference Response rate, % 38.4
in participation in these training events between SFGs, Age, yr 32.2
except that respondents from the National Guard (19th (29–35; 23–47)
and 20th SFG) were less likely to have completed NTMs. Service in the Army, yr 10.5 (7–13; 3–35)
Almost three-quarters (73.5%) of the respondents served Service in Special Forces/Operations, yr 5.4 (3–7; 0–18)
on an Operational Detachment–A (ODA). The charac- Time since graduating from SFMS
teristics of the 334 participants are presented in Table 1. course, yr 5.2 (3–7; 0–18)

Current Readiness Unit assignment
SFMS reported that their average confidence in per- 1st Special Forces Group 64 (21.5)
forming their medical duties during a no-notice deploy- 3rd Special Forces Group 33 (11.1)
ment in the next 6 months was 89 (95% CI 88–90) on a 5th Special Force Group 75 (25.3)
0–100 scale (Figure 2). There was no significant differ- 7th Special Forces Group 47 (15.8)
ence between SFGs.
10th Special Forces Group 40 (12.0)
Figure 2 Reported overall confidence to perform medical duties 19th Special Forces Group 7 (2.4)
as an SFMS during a no-notice deployment in the next 6 months.
20th Special Forces Group 18 (6.1)
Special Warfare Center and School 19 (6.5)
Other 2 (0.7)
Level of organization
Operational Detachment – A 214 (73.5)
Operational Detachment – B 24 (8.2)
Battalion Medical/Staff 19 (6.5)
Group Medical/Staff 13 (4.5)
Special Warfare Center and School 19 (6.5)
Other 2 (0.7)
Has deployed OCONUS as a SFMS 270 (92.8)
Total OCONUS deployments as 4.2 (2–5; 0–24)
18D, no.
Total time in combat zones as 13.0 (6–19; 0–44)
Behavior and Intention 18D, mo
On average, SFMS spend 4.6 hours per week (95% CI Total time in noncombat zones as
3.9–5.2) sustaining their medical skills. To reduce and 18D, mo 6.5 (1–8; 0–67)
evaluate the impact of several outliers who reported Times since last deployment, mo 9.1 (1–12; 0–60)
spending significant amounts of time sustaining their Has completed MPT 135 (46.7)
medical skills, the 5% trimmed mean, which excludes
the upper and lower 5% of values, was calculated to be Time since last MPT, mo 20.3 (5–24; 0–96)
3.7 hours per week (Figure 3). Has completed NTMs 228 (78.4)
Time since last NTM, mo 12.7 (3–16; 0–108)
SFMS reported that, on average, they intend to spend Has completed SOCMSSC 244 (82.7)
between a slight and moderate amount of time each
week sustaining their medical skills. The average of Time since last SOCMSSC, mo 12.4 (5–18; 0–96)
responses was 2.72 (95% CI 2.63–2.80) on a 5-point Note: Continuous variables are described as mean (interquartile range;
Likert-type scale (Figure 4). range) and categorical variables as number (%) unless otherwise noted.
OCONUS, outside the continental United States. See text for expan-
sion of other abbreviations.
Attitude
their skills in other key areas, with an average response
Behavior beliefs of 4.85 on a 5-point scale (95% CI 4.80–4.90). They re-
Respondents reported that maintaining their medical ported that the next most important skills were physical
skills was significantly more important than maintaining fitness, tactical engagement skills, shooting, and cross

Perceptions and Beliefs About Medical Sustainment Programs 63