Summer - United States Special Operations Command

Unlike the United States military decision-makingprocesses, where operational control and chain-of-commandare, hopefully, clear and established, NATO operations are oftentimesmanaged under administrative control, using a varietyof potential lead-nations, with contributing nationsretaining sovereignty to opt in or out of specified missions,based on their national-political motivations. These nationalcaveats can be frustrating, but are essential to maintaining nationalsovereignty within the Alliance. The challenge then ofunderstanding and effectively operating within NATO is to realizenot only the capability of each contributed force, but alsothe political sensitivities and restrictions of each nation withina given operational environment. Savey vous!?With that in mind, I continue to work to gain consensusto establish policies, directives, and SOF medical doctrineas a foundation for NATO SOF medical operations and planning.The key being establishing common ground and agreementand, through dialogue and debate, negotiating the finernuances of what is salient.Within the NSCC’s educational activities, SOF HealthService Support Planning is currently included in our CombinedJoint Staff Officer’s and the International Security AssistanceForces (ISAF) Staff Officer’s Courses. Within thenewly published Special Operations Task Group (SOTG) andCombined Joint Forces Special Operations Component Command(CJFSOCC) Manuals chapters are dedicated to MedicalSupport Planning. These manuals are used as reference materialswithin NATO SOF courses, ISAF, and by nations contributingto NATO SOF operations.Another item that needs to be highlighted and disseminatedis the ISAF SOF HQ medical directive. This directivewas developed by the NSCC, in coordination withACO, Joint Forces Command (JFC) Brunnsum, and ISAFMEDAD’s. It provides SOF medical planners with a theaterlevelmedical support planning tool, and promulgates understandingof regional nuance, national caveats, and capabilitiesthat directly affect SOF operations. The intent of this documentis to provide SOF elements at any level who contributeto ISAF operations, situational awareness and the tools to effectivelyconduct SOF operations either regionally or intertheater.If your unit is currently contributing to ISAF, or isplanned to do so, please contact me at the NSCC for access,exchange of information, and updates.I would also like to request your participation in importantupcoming events to keep NATO SOF medical supportand capability visible at the Operational Command and InternationalMedical Command level. The 2nd SOF CommandersSymposium to be held in Rome, Italy, this September willhighlight to SOF Commanders the progress made thus farwithin ISAF SOF Medical support. Our goal will also be topromote consensus on medical capability standards for adequatesupport across the operational continuum to SOF operations.The next opportunity then will be the 2nd NATOMedical Operations Conference to be held in Heidelberg,Germany, this October. The NSCC has coordinated a subconference,the first NATO SOF Medical Operations Conference.The intent of this conference is to bring MedicalCommand and SOF Medical Surgeons/Planners together tofoster dialogue, develop consensus, and inculcate internationaladvances and lessons learned into new NATO policy,doctrine and standards relating to medical capability and requirements.Other opportunities for collaboration are the SpecialOperations Medical Association (SOMA) meeting in Tampa,Florida, and the Tactical Combat Casualty Care Symposiumin Pfullendorf, Germany, held annually in December andJune, respectively. At SOMA this December, I plan to providean update on the decisions, advances or barriers tochange thus far in publishing NATO SOF Medical policyand doctrine. The TCCC Symposium in Pfullendorf is theEuropean version of SOMA hosted by Germany. It providesan excellent opportunity to establish contact with internationalSOF Surgeons, share ideas and concepts on equipmentand technologies, and discuss lessons learned.Lastly, with the help of a few friends and experts intheir respective fields I have revised and re-written the jobdescriptions of the Medical Branch within the NSCC; I expectthat the changes will be approved and implementedwhen the NSCC transitions to the NSHQ later this year.NATO will move away from Joint Staff designations to functionalareas in April of 2010. The NSHQ Medical Branchwill reflect the recommended changes having a CommandSurgeon dual-hatted within the Command Group as specialstaff to the Commander, and Medical Branch Chief, withinthe Medical Branch, under the Deputy Chief of Staff forSupport. This will maintain the command relationship andalso the functional area of the Medical Branch. I am hopingto expand the Medical Branch from the current two positionsto a more capable organization of five. This will require approvalas a part of our transition to NSHQ, but more importantlyactually providing people against these positions frombidding nations to become a reality.Over this past year I have had significant input andsupport from multiple Special Operations Command surgeons.I want to express heart-felt thanks for your support.I look forward to expanding this collective group of friendsand colleagues, and continuing to use your input and insightsto developing the way ahead.98Journal of Special Operations Medicine Volume 9, Edition 3 / Summer 09