Page 142 - Journal of Special Operations Medicine - Spring 2015

from the
NATO SOF Surgeon

hank you to all who put so much NSHQ will be hosting the NATO Al­
Ttime and effort into making SOMSA lied and Partner SOF Symposium, “Op­
a great event and outstanding venue erationalizing Allied Joint SOF with
for the Alliance partners to meet and NATO,” and the NATO SOF Command­
network. At times I felt as if I had not ers meeting on 8–10 September 2015 at
left Mons, Belgium, seeing so many fa­ Michael D. Henry, MD the Lotto Mons Expo in Mons, Belgium.
miliar NATO partners in the halls and COL MC, USA (A) “Today’s dynamic international security
meetings. The event provided an oppor­ environment requires an inherently agile
tunity for the Special Operations Tacti­ NATO Special Operations response by SOF. Threats and challenges
cal Medicine Panel, led by OR8 Sand Headquarters faced by the Alliance are diverse, adap­
Medical Advisor/
“Rabbit” Heinrick, to meet and discuss Command Surgeon tive, and of an irregular/hybrid nature.”
future initiatives as well as to recruit With these issues in mind, NSHQ is part­
new members from throughout the Alliance. This initia­ nering with industry at the symposium. SOMB will be invit­
tive and the energy provided by the senior SOF medics ing medical vendors to participate in the symposium as well.
and nurses are critical to the future success of the Special
Operations Forces Medicine Panel and NATO SOF medi­ The 2015 Fall NATO SOF Medicine Research Workshop
cine. This group of SOF medicine subject matter experts is (RWS), “Broadening the Medical Mind­set: A Multidisci­
a bottom­up forcing function to ensure we bridge any gaps plinary Medical Approach to Extend Support to the SOF
between tactical medicine and the operational/ strategic Commanders,” is scheduled to be held in conjunction with
NATO medical requirements. the symposium. Participants of the symposium and the
workshop are invited to attend the keynote speeches in the
The Special Operations Medical Branch (SOMB) NATO plenary hall throughout the symposium. The medical work­
Special Operations Headquarters (NSHQ) and the Uni­ shop will focus on the aspects of extended care and the role
versity College Cork successfully completed a busy fall of the SOSTs as a commander’s enabler. Discussions on re­
academic schedule at the ACME, culminating with back­to­ quired SOST capabilities, prolonged field care, the use of
back Special Operations Surgical Team (SOST) Development blood products, medic training, and understanding the vari­
Courses. The German and Polish SOSTs each completed a ances in national medical training and authorities as they
week of training that provided the framework for the devel­ relate to medically supporting operations in austere and im­
opment of common surgical equipment standards, tactics, mature theatres are scheduled. The venue provides the RWS
techniques, and procedures required to support SOF op­ participants the opportunity to interact and discuss these
erations in austere environments. These and other lessons critical issues with the SOF Commanders and NATO lead­
identified and learned will be compiled and used in a future ership attending the symposium. Save the date and plan to
SOST NATO publication. We are looking forward to work­ attend the NATO Allied and Partner SOF Symposium and
ing with the University College Cork staff and hosting a full our 2015 Fall Research Workshop on 8–10 September 2015.
schedule of NATO Special Operations Medicine Develop­
ment Initiative (NSMDI) courses at the ACME this spring.
Due to a strong demand signal from the Alliance, we are
adding an additional Combat Medical Simulation Course
(scheduled for 15–19 June 2015) for a second year in a row.

NSHQ SOMB continues to support the Commander’s lines
of effort and his initiative to operationalize NSHQ. NSHQ’s
efforts to create a collective identity alongside the combatant
commands and to educate the NATO customers from the
strategic to the tactical level as to the roles, limitations, and
capabilities of SOF over the past years are enabling NSHQ
to operationalize SOF in the Alliance to better synchronize
the strategic and operational effects of SOF in support of
SACEUR and broader NATO political­military objects.

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