Page 6 - JSOM Summer 2023

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SOMA PRESIDENT

SOMA Members and JSOM Readers, Recently some of SOMA’s vendors,
benefactors, and academic institu-
would like to thank all of you who tions received email solicitations of-
contributed to and attended SOMSA John Dominguez, MSG (Ret) ) fering SOMSA’s attendee list. PLEASE
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I 2023! I hope you were able to take NOTE: SOMA, SOMSA, and Kellen
away valuable ideas, relationships, education, and ex- DO NOT sell or release the names of its members or
periences. SOMA strives to constantly improve the attendees. If you are a speaker, your name will be on the
SOMSA experience. It’s important to please take a mo- program. That being said, we can change your name on
ment to participate in the post-SOMSA survey that you the SOMSA program to represent a unit, department,
will receive via email. This survey is separate from the or organization if you require anonymity. If you are a
CME email. SOMSA 2024 will be in Raleigh, NC at the vendor new to SOMA, please don’t fall for this attempt
same convention center as SOMSA 2023. If you plan to deceive you. Most of the vendors that have been with
on presenting and/or attending, kindly start your plan- SOMA for a while know that due to the sensitivity of
ning early. In the next JSOM issue, we will be posting our members and attendees, SOMA would never con-
key dates for abstract submissions, lab submissions, and done this type of practice.
board elections.
SOMA will consider new locations for SOMSA 2025
Congratulations to SOMA’s 2023 Medic of the Year and 2026. The board weighs factors of availability and
Staff Sergeant Sean Clerkin and SOMA’s Scholarship size of conference centers, total cost of location venue,
recipients: ease of travel and cost for attendees, and potential
for global SOF partners to attend. In accordance with
2021 Awardee: SOMA’s mission to advance medicine and increase sur-
Tyler Williams
vivability, our priority is to have maximum participation
2022 Awardees: at SOMSA to benefit our members and attendees. Cit-
Jonathan Wilson ies and convention centers change prices frequently and
Thomas Roache venues get booked years in advance. The 52 weeks of
Justin Messinger the year pose several challenges: overlapping with other
Christopher Marshall training events, holidays, PCS schedule, fiscal year bud-
Sean Kaisler get, multiple conferences (both medical and tactical),
just to name a few. The board and Kellen do its best
2023 Awardees:
William Marshall to find dates and locations that will accommodate the
Paul Pelaez members, attendees, and vendors.
Thank you to the SOMA scholarship fund sponsors. SOMA has exponentially expanded from its humble be-
They make it possible for SOMA to support our mem- ginnings at Ft. Bragg, NC. SOMA was initially born out of
bers’ educational goals. the need of interoperability among Global SOF to provide
the best possible prehospital care. Over the years, SOMA
SOMA looks forward to continuing to provide opportu- has added Human Performance Optimization, mild trau-
nities to its members in their future pursuits. Our mem- matic brain injury (TBI), Field to Table, the Second Half
bership has a vast range of knowledge and experience. Initiative, and myriad labs to enhance the capabilities of
Eric Koch and Luke Neff did an excellent job of putting our members and attendees. SOMA’s Fellowship Com-
together the Field to Table Track. This track has been mittee is in the discovery phase of defining a Special Op-
long overdue. SOMA recognized that many of you are erations Medical fellowship. This is a very challenging
creative with special entrepreneurial skills, and have task that has multiple facets that need to be considered
questions or seek guidance to pursue concepts or plans and synchronized to ensure the desired end state. Figure
while in service or in industry. 1 shows part of the working parameters of consideration.

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