Page 6 - JSOM Fall 2022
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                                            SOMA PRESIDENT













          SOMA Members and JSOM Readers,                                     In 1987, a “proof of concept” meet­
                                                                             ing was held with the intent to provide
            ’d like to start off by congratulating                           an annual medically focused forum to
                                                  h
                                                    D
                                                                MS
                                               J Jo h n  D om i i n gu e z,  MS G   (R et t )
                                               John Dominguez, MSG (Ret)
                                                                   G
                                                                     (R
            SOMA Past President MSG (Ret)                                    provide updated medical information
         IHarold “Monty” Montgomery for                                      for Special Forces (SF) medics and
          his induction into the Ranger Hall of Fame on 13 July   Special Operations medical personal. This initial meet­
          2022. Few medical Rangers are bestowed this honor. He   ing eventually developed into what we now know as
          joins distinguished members in this prestigious group—  SOMSA. I want to recognize COL (Ret) Steven Yevich
          SOMA Immediate Past President COL (Ret) Russ Kot­  and others who organized the first Joint International
          wal, inducted 2020, and The Honorable James B. Peake,   Special  Operations  Medical Conference  (JISOMC),
          MD, inducted 2009. For over 25 years, Monty has made   which paved the way for our current­day conference.
          it his mission to advance SOF and military medicine.   That initial JISOMC 4­day medical conference brought
                                                             together over 75 medical representatives from all the US
          I would like to thank Dr Philp Spinella, Dr Geir Stran­  military active­duty branches, National Guard/Reserve
          denes, Dan Martin, Dr Håkon Eliassen, Pat Thompson,   Special Forces, Rangers, SEALs, Marine Force Recon,
          Dr Elon Glassberg, and the many others who contrib­  British SAS, Australia SAS, and German KSK. Among
          uted to the  THOR’s 2022 Remote  Damage Control    the noncombat organizations in attendance were De­
          Resuscitation Symposium. On behalf of SOMA, con­   partment of Defense Research and Development, Medi­
          gratulations  to  THOR  on  its  10­year  anniversary!  I   cal Operations, and Logistics.” 1
          am  happy  to  announce  that  SOMA  and  THOR  have
          renewed their strategic partnership. If you aren’t fa­  SOMA has been, and must continue to be, the incubator
          miliar with THOR’s efforts to improve outcomes from   for innovation, interoperability, and collaboration. It is
          traumatic hemorrhagic shock, I recommend you visit   so important for experiences, case studies, and vignettes
          their website (www.rdcr.org), which provides excellent   to continue to be shared. Just like that first JISOMC,
          resources and presentations.                       only when gaps are identified, unique situations high­
                                                             lighted, unexpected conditions addressed, or oversights
          Work and preparation for SOMSA 2023 are under way.   articulated can we work together to develop perma­
          Please start planning now if you are interested in pre­  nent solutions. The strength of SOMA is learning from
          senting. An email will be out soon calling for presenta­  each other’s successes and shortcomings so that we are
          tions. The Board is scouting locations for SOMSA 2024   prepared when faced with similar situations. I ask unit
          and 2025. We appreciate the recommendation of Las   leaders to actively identify and encourage members of
          Vegas as a future location. Who doesn’t love Vegas? But,   your tribe to present a vignette at SOMSA 2023 so that
          unfortunately, that location is cost prohibitive and our   this long tradition of growth through sharing and men­
          intent is to make SOMSA as affordable as possible.  torship continues.
                                                                                            John C. Dominguez
          SOMSA 2023 will mark 10 years for the PFC Working                                   SOMA President
          Group (now the Prolonged Fieldcare Collective [PFC])                             MSG (Ret), SO­ATP
          dedicated to providing educational content and men­
          torship. In December 2013, 10th Special Forces Group   Reference
          members, as well as representatives from the wider SOF   1.  SOMA historical committee Report 2022 – interview with COL
          community, identified a gap in skill degradation and   (Ret) Steven Yevich and COL (Ret) Jim Coy.
          took the initiative to form the PFC Working Group at
          SOMSA. In May 2022, PFC posted its 100th podcast
          discussing PFC’s origins and current and future efforts.
          PFC’s impact on knowledge and development continues
          to influence both military and civilian, US and interna­
          tional practitioners serving in the harshest environments
          (https://prolongedfieldcare.org/category/podcasts/).

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