Page 10 - JSOM Winter 2024

fromthe

SOMA PRESIDENT

SOMA Members and JSOM Readers, life-saving techniques published in Tactical
Combat Casualty Care guidelines should
efore going into my thoughts for this be the foundation of first response trauma
edition, I would like to remind our care. The (re-) emergence of whole blood
Bmembership that the SOMA Board resuscitation may extend the so-called
of Directors last year decided that for COL (Ret) Sean Keenan, MDMD “Golden Hour” of casualty care, and most
Sean
K
COL
(Ret)
eenan
2025 and beyond, we will be moving to military SOF formations are preparing for
an all-digital JSOM subscription as the standard membership both cold-stored blood and walking blood bank resuscitation
benefit in an effort to keep membership fees low amid rising options. The continuation of care through enroute care, for-
print costs. Print copies may be purchased at a 20% discount ward resuscitative and surgical care, or, when in contested or
if you would like to continue to receive hard copy editions of particularly austere operational settings, the contingency of
the Journal. prolonged casualty care must be practiced through realistic,
team-based training.
Preparedness for Uncertainty
Our next conflicts should not find us unprepared. As former
Recently, I’ve had the privilege of attending professional meet- U.S. President John F. Kennedy stated during a State of the
ings of two of SOMA’s newer partnership organizations. On Union address in 1962: “The time to repair the roof is when
visits to Brisbane, Australia, for the Australian Tactical Medi- the sun is shining.” We know the sun isn’t shining everywhere
cine Conference, and Paris, France, for the SOF-Combat Med- in the world, but we should take every opportunity to improve,
ical Conference, I’ve had the opportunity to connect with old share lessons learned, and build interoperability while memo-
colleagues and make some new acquaintances. There was a ries are fresh and where opportunities present themselves. I
palpable urgency in these forums to study and embrace new hope we can meet in Raleigh, North Carolina, in early May
lessons, and senior professionals are urgently sharing lessons 2025. Until then, stay prepared and train as though your life
learned from past conflicts, with an eye on the future. Anec- depends on it—because it just might.
dotes and case series from Ukraine, as well as strategic discus-
sions involving threats in the Pacific and panels on irregular Lastly, this past November saw the passing of one of the great
warfare paint a picture of the challenges of potential future personalities of Special Operations medicine. Warner “Rocky”
conflicts. Farr's death leaves a legacy of excellence defined by a lifetime
of service in SOF medicine. From a junior medic in Vietnam,
As we prepare for SOMSA 2025, we acknowledge simple real- through the Cold War, medical school, and the Global War on
ities: wherever we go in the future, we will rely on one another Terrorism, Rocky influenced many of our members directly
to provide echelons of medical support, and true interoperabil- through his example, mentoring, and leadership over his 46
ity will be not only goal but also a necessity. Expeditionary op- years of active duty service. He was a fierce advocate for SOF
erations will demand excellent care in challenging situations. medicine and a renowned medical historian, reminding us all
Reliance on our partners and host nation medical infrastruc- how the practice of austere medicine led to today's irregular
ture may become the norm, and current peacetime operations warfare concepts. Even after his retirement, I benefited person-
may be an opportunity to explore non-doctrinal solutions to ally from conversations where he shared a ton of references to
higher levels of care. inform our SOF medical policies in Eastern Europe, and for
that, I was extremely grateful. He may be gone for now but
At the end of the day, mastery of the basics will ensure maxi- will not be forgotten. Rest in peace, Rocky, and De Oppresso
mal preparedness for both our medical professionals and com- Liber!
rades in arms. Simple evidence- informed application of those

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