Page 36 - JSOM Summer 2022

and partnerships allowing a “One Team” concept. An ex- illustrious alumni include Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook. Its athletic
cellent example of this can be seen when 7th Group’s MWD teams have won 21 national championships, and its athletes
teams provided K-9s, handlers, and training on K-9 operations include Olympic gold medalists, Heisman trophy winners,
during the April 2019 and June 2021 NTMs. Since MPC teams professional Hall of Famers, and popular personalities such
are not organic to the 20th Group, exposure to live MPCs and as Sir Charles Barkley, Bo Jackson, Frank Thomas, and Cam
the deployed experiences of SOF MPC handlers is an invalu- Newton. Undoubtedly, 20th SFG(A)’s collaboration with Au-
able addition to NTMs. burn University has the potential to provide significant and
tangible benefits for the 20th SFG(A) NTM training exercises.
Collaborative relationships with nonmilitary academia such as
University of Alabama - Birmingham Medical, VCOM, or the This was well demonstrated at the April 2019 NTM course,
Auburn University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, such col- which was a successful collaboration between 20th SFG(A)
laborations can provide access to SMEs and training resources cadre and Auburn University. The event was supported by
that are not available internally to the unit. For human medical the faculty, staff, and facilities of Auburn University’s Col-
training, students gain access to, for example, cadaver labs for lege of Veterinary Medicine, VCOM, School of Kinesiology
suture training and dental procedures, OB/GYN simulators, Warrior Research Center, Department of Animal Sciences,
and microbiology labs. The veterinary training is supported Equine Training and Performance Center, Canine Perfor-
with, for example, access to equine and other pack animals, mance Sciences Center, Meat Science Laboratory, and Aquat-
canine performance sciences program, and meat-processing ics Center as well as the Alabama Agricultural Experiment
labs and meat science experts. Station. Classes included carcass fabrication, meat preserva-
tion, food safety, and equine and pack animal examination
The collaboration between the military and civilian educa- and care.
tional institution is neither new nor unprecedented. The earli-
est association began in World War I in response to the need for The faculty, staff, and facilities at VCOM proved most pop-
trauma training for civilian surgeons serving in military roles ular with the participants, contributed to NTM success, and
to treat combat casualties. Unfortunately, this association did highlighted all the benefits that a civilian–military joint col-
not last long, resulting in the loss of many lessons learned for laboration for a Center of Excellence could encompass and
several years. Operation Desert Storm in 1991 and the Battle achieve. This would not have been possible without the en-
of Mogadishu in 1993 brought to light a major gap in the mil- thusiastic support and drive by Dr Paul Brisson, who single-
itary’s training and capability to provide appropriate trauma handedly developed the 10 training modules rotations using
care to a predicted number of casualties. Recognition of this the anatomy lab and simulations center, recruited a dozen
gap led to the creation of the Joint Trauma Training Center volunteer faculty and numerous medical students to assist, do-
(JTSC) that had the overall goal of enhancing the combat med- nated $1300 in surgical supplies, and got the medical school
ical skills and readiness of military trauma teams by exposing dean to allow this training at no cost to the government. It was
them to high-volume, real-world trauma casualties. To meet most fortuitous that Dr. Brisson is a combat decorated mili-
their high-volume caseload demand, JTSC needed to work tary trauma surgeon and retired Army Reserve Medical Corps
collaboratively with civilian Level 1 Trauma Centers, with colonel who was chief and professor of surgery and anatomy
the Ben Taub General Hospital (BTGH) in Houston, Texas, at VCOM. Twenty-two members representing five different
as one of the initial pilot sites. As a result of the development Special Forces groups attended the training. All the members
of multiple trauma training sites between the military medical participated in all 10 training modules.
providers and civilian hospitals, a collaboration that fostered
advancements in critical surgical care has flourished and been One of the many keys to the success of the 2019 20th SFG(A)
sustained. In 2012, when Sean Keenan was the 10th SFG(A) and Auburn University collaboration on the NTM training
surgeon, he created a veterinary and medical proficiency train- event was having a former military Servicemember on the fac-
ing program in sports medicine with Colorado State Univer- ulty of the medical school who could advocate for the training
sity (CSU). This collegial relationship resulted in a research project. The cost to the medical school was quite low, and
grant in 2016 for nearly $250,000 for CSU to conduct a study the VCOM dean agreed to have the medical school cover all
on how exercise affects social, spiritual, psychological, and costs. No complex memoranda were required. Based on our
human performance on 10th Group SFG Operators. experience, there is potential value in Special Forces groups
contacting local medical schools to investigate the possibility
Collaboration between a medical school and Special Forces of collaborating on NTM training.
groups can be accomplished with great mutual benefit. Med-
ical school faculty and students are often enthusiastic about
contributing to the training of the military service members. Conclusion
In addition, medical schools may provide access to additional Over the years, 20th SFG(A) has consistently provided quality
resources and state-of-the-art facilities that can be used to sustainment training to itself and others. Participants have not
enhance military training. In 2019, 20th SFG(A) successfully been restricted to 20th SFG(A) and have come from all ser-
joined forces with Auburn University to present an NTM vice components including active duty, Reserves, and National
event with synergistic results. Guard. The NTM training is continually evolving to meet the
current needs of the mission and to reflect changing best prac-
Auburn University is a flagship public institution of higher tices and lessons learned. Recent collaboration in 2019 with
education in Alabama that was established in 1856. It has Auburn University greatly enhanced the quality and relevance
a current undergraduate enrollment exceeding 24,000 un- of the course. Future similar collaborations will be pursued to
dergraduates with an additional 6000+ postgraduate and provide the best possible sustainment training for the Special
professional students in 16 different schools and colleges sup- Forces combat medics.
ported by over 5000 full-time faculty and staff on 1,843 acres
with 427 buildings. Auburn offers over 140 major fields of If you, or someone you know, is interested in attending a
study and is nationally ranked in 34 academic disciplines. It future 20th SFG(A) NTM course, please contact SFC Doyle
is the top producer of nuclear submariners for the US Navy Hart at robert.d.hart16.mil@mail.mil.
and a major contributor to NASA’s astronaut corps, and its

34 | JSOM Volume 22, Edition 2 / Summer 2022