Page 105 - JSOM Fall 2018

An Ongoing Series

How the International Special Training Centre
Is Training World-Class Medics

An Outline of the NATO Special Operations Combat Medic Course

Jon B. Christensen, APA-C, CCP-C, TP-C, HMO, FAWM, DiMM

ABSTRACT
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Special Op- Introduction
erations Combat Medic (NSOCM) course is specifically de-
signed to train 24 highly selected Special Operations Forces Special Operations and unconventional warfare requires elite
(SOF) members to treat trauma and nontrauma patients who warriors to operate frequently in austere environments, in-
have life-threatening diseases and/or injuries. The NSOCM cluding full-spectrum cross-borders operations that are polit-
course is held at the International Special Training Centre ically and regionally isolated, deep in enemy territory, with
(ISTC) in Pfullendorf, Germany, and exemplifies ISTC’s mis- limited support and delayed evacuation times to complete
sion to build interoperability and strengthening alliances be- their missions effectively. In the period after Operation Endur-
tween multinational partners. The 24-week NSOCM course ing Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom, the need
is taught by subject matter experts and SOF members from for SOF has continued to increase almost exponentially. With
around the globe. Building interoperability and capacity with this ever-increasing need are similar requirements to care for
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common NATO standards is crucial to medical support of all these warriors. Hughes and Hughes reported on the increas-
future SOF missions where military units and other small el- ing complications of diseases, both combat and noncombat
ements will be vitally dependent on each other for combined related, when they compared OEF X and OEF XII for the 1st
missions at the regional, national, or NATO level. A better un- Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, which saw a combined
derstanding and knowledge of the current SOF medic role and total of more than 50,000 patients. Their report highlighted
the capabilities they need to bring to the battlefield will help the need for medical personnel with a higher level of medical
advance their scope from the “classic” trauma scenarios to training than in the past and their ability to operate in such
the more advanced clinical medicine and prolonged field care austere environments. Current worldwide instabilities and the
situations. The NSOCM must become a critical-thinker and tyranny of distance could potentially result in numerous sce-
be able to recognize and treat these health risks and conditions narios where The Death of the Golden Hour and NATO doc-
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in remote, austere environments, finding the right solution trinal medical treatment timelines are not achievable ; hence,
with a limited arsenal at their disposal. The ISTC-NSOCM the importance of this skill-set for the Special Operations
course is designed to help bridge this gap and raise situational combat medic. Starting in 2016, in Pfullendorf, Germany, the
awareness for the NATO on-the-ground medical professionals International Special Training Centre (ISTC) commenced the
to ensure “the more they know the more apt they are to save North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Special Opera-
a life.” In essence, it is ISTC’s goal to meet these challenges by tions Combat Medic (NSOCM) course.
training NSOCMs to meet these multidimensional demands.
This article outlines ISTC’s development and design of the Since 1979, the ISTC has provided advanced, specialized train-
NSOCM course and new adaptations as we move forward ing for SOF and similar units to strengthen alliances, expand
into our third year of training world-class medics. unit capability, and improve interoperability among multina-
tional SOF. Over the past three decades, ISTC has developed
and been recognized as a “go to” Special Operations tactical
Keywords: NATO; International Special Training Centre; level training facility. ISTC maintains a quality management
Special Operations Combat Medic; training
system as a NATO accredited institution. All instructors are
subject matter experts (SMEs) and are selected to become a
Correspondence to medchief@istc-sof.org
MAJ Christensen is the chief of Medical Training for the International Special Training Centre and course director for the NSOCM and affiliate
facility for NAEMT (TCCC).

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