Page 144 - Journal of Special Operations Medicine - Spring 2015

Your thoughts on being a University of the Health Sciences]. We started a year be-
Law Enforcement Officer (LEO)? fore them and we took all of our stuff and combined it in
Well, first and foremost, as a Law Enforcement Officer, CONTOMS. I would say that it was easier probably for the
I was a team leader for a SWAT [Special Weapons and span of control you’re dealing with—a squad commander
Tactics] team, which is civilian special operations, when and a police chief or a sheriff versus the Joint Chiefs of
my partner and I from [Los Angeles] started the first ci- Staff. The goal is the same thing: to get the command to
vilian tactical emergency medical course [TEMS]. It was say you must do these TEMS- or TCCC [Tactical Combat
because as an 18D, I’m looking at my SWAT team and Casualty Care]-related things. It’s a little easier in the civil-
saying, ‘We’re doing essentially the same kind of missions ian world, where top leaders are more accessible and can
we did in Special Forces, but we have no medical sup- approve new doctrine quickly. But equally important, es-
port.’ We called 911 if something [went] bad. That [didn’t] pecially now with active shooters [and] IEDs [improvised
make a lot of sense. So that’s where the TEMS program explosive devices], you’re running into the same kind of
came from, back in the mid-80s to around [1988], when threats as a combat situation.
we wrote this first doctrine for it. It really was me plagiariz- I’m thrilled that at this stage of my life I’m still able to
ing, if you will, all I learned in Special Forces, to say ‘OK, be relevant, to draw on those experiences and work with
we need to have civilian medics who are assigned to the guys like you and Frank [Butler] and Bob [Mabry] and ev-
teams or have operators who are trained as medics.’ Not erybody to make it better for the guys behind us. To me,
just combat casualty care but, as you know, part of the that’s really our responsibility. We had the benefit of walk-
medic’s job, sometimes most importantly, is to keep the ing in those shoes, so let’s make it better for these guys. It
team healthy. So that’s where that came from. The things I is part of leadership, mentorship, stewardship, all of that. I
did on the Special Operations team in the military versus really enjoy it. As you look at a life cycle, in the young years,
SWAT, [they were] pretty similar. It’s the same tools; you’re my relevance was really being an operator, going through
dealing with high-risk situations. We brought TEMS in so the door, doing all those things. And at some point, be-
we [would] have medical support that was complemen- cause of your injuries, because of your age, and the young
tary, just like we do in Special Forces. And those are things guys pushing you out, you can’t do that anymore. So you
I learned as a Special Forces medic. And then I did a lot exit, or you try and still be relevant in another way and
search and rescue, which was rope work, rappelling, and provide guidance, mentorship, stewardship, leadership,
aeromedical evacuation. Where did I learn that? Every- and help to solve some of the complex problems that the
thing I have done in life I have to go back to my basic youngsters who are operators don’t really know well and
Special Forces training where I got a lot of those skills. don’t have the historical perspective we all have [to help
solve them]. I really enjoy doing that. I’ll be the first to tell
Those who can translate between communities— you I miss doing the operational stuff, both medical and
LEO and military—are they integral to the success tactical, but you have to grow up at some point. I got a
of both? lot of injuries. Every day I am reminded. I got a plate in
I never really even thought about it. It was another mis- my back and a titanium knee. I got a plate in my neck.
sion and what skill set do I need to do this? How do I get All those hard landings, they catch up to you. Obstacle
there? What’s the time? What’s the cost? What is the risk? courses. You get beat up pretty good over the years both
And again, it’s just that military mindset that here’s my in the military and civilian special operations. . . . Pain is
mission; this is what I gotta do. And a lot of it was transla- just weakness leaving the body, as they used to tell us.
tional, taking my Special Forces skills to any environment They didn’t lie to me, did they?
to complete any mission.
Any other current work aims?
Any thoughts on the LEO community’s I sit on a number of corporate boards. I work with some
view of operational medicine? small companies and larger companies, such as in identi-
They have been more accepting than the military has been, fying emerging science and technology that we can take
to be honest with you. I think it’s easier. It’s easier because to the market, especially technology that can benefit our
when we brought it to the attention of the National Tacti- military and our combat troops. I have a distinguished
cal Officers Association, which is now a member of SOMA professorship at the University of Arizona, Ohio State Uni-
[Special Operations Medical Association], they right away versity, and at the Uniformed Services University. Like all
said, ‘Well, gee, we should have this. Why don’t we?’ of us, I try to stay relevant and try to contribute. Now I am
. . . It took a number of years to push out, but eventually I not an operator anymore, but having walked in the shoes,
was there as a plank holder with Cliff Cloonan, John Hag- I do the best I can to try to make it better for the kids
mann, Kevin Veskey, Josh Vayer, and Craig Llewellyn on behind us that are still down range and get them the best
the CONTOMS [ Counter Narcotics and Terrorism Opera- information and care. And then when they transition from
tional Medical Support] program at [Uniformed Services Warrior to veteran status, I’m trying to make sure, working

134 Journal of Special Operations Medicine Volume 15, Edition 1/Spring 2015