Page 121 - Journal of Special Operations Medicine - Spring 2015

Case 2: Niger MEDEVAC Program More details on this program can be found in the comple­
The second illustrative case involved a cooperative ef­ mentary article in the Summer 2015 edition of JSOM.
fort between SOCAFRICA, Air Force Special Opera­
tions Command, and the US Department of State, with Conclusion
funding through the Trans­Sahara Counter Terrorism
Partnership in an effort to bolster regional medical Healthcare sector capacity building is one of the many
capacity. The tyranny of distance in Western Africa tools available to SOF in cooperative engagements with
plagues US SOF in terms of access to scarce medical re­ partner nations. A collaborative approach between the
sources and prolonged evacuation times between remote TSOC and government and nongovernment agencies can
facilities. Patient­movement systems within partner na­ facilitate partnership efforts in sustainable programs that
tions are underdeveloped and under resourced, which contribute to global security efforts. The MEDCAN–
forces a reliance on external evacuation resources. GRO model is a potential framework within which SOF
SOCAFRICA conducts an annual multinational training can pursue long­term healthcare capacity goals aligned
exercise (FLINTLOCK), bringing thousands of African with strategic goals of the TSOC.
partner­nation military together. This exercise high­
lighted shortfalls in patient­evacuation capability among Disclaimer
partner nations. Recognizing the gap in both military
and civilian patient­movement systems, SOCAFRICA The views expressed are those of the authors and do not
endeavored to provide resources and training for a start­ reflect the official policy or position of the Uniformed
up medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) platform. The goal Services University of the Health Sciences, the Depart­
was to support patient movement within Niger and ul­ ment of Defense, or the United States Government.
timately provide regional multinational medical support
for the FLINTLOCK exercise.
Disclosures
SOCAFRICA facilitated the outfitting of aircraft in This work is attributed to the US Army Special Opera­
Niger with MEDEVAC equipment and established a tions Command Africa.
training pipeline for air crew and medical personnel.
Familiarization was conducted on multiple platforms References
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A Case Study in Special Operations Forces Capacity Building 111