A U.S. Soldier on a night patrol hears a gunshot, feels a sharp pain in the right side, and yells, “I’m hit.” The unit medic quickly moves to the casualty’s side. The wounded Soldier thinks of the family waiting at home and says to the medic: “Doc—will you please tell my family that I love them.” The medic responds, “Hey—shut up! I got this. You’re…

Our JSOM Podcast team of Alex Merkle and Josh Randles will be reviewing the following articles for our Summer podcast: Advancing Combat Casualty Care Statistics and Other Battlefield Care Metrics by Jud C. Janak, Russ S. Kotwal, Jeffrey T. Howard, Jennifer M. Gurney, Brian J. Eastridge, John B. Holcomb, Stacy S. Shackelford, Robert A. De Lorenzo, I…

Our JSOM Podcast team of Alex Merkle and Josh Randles will be reviewing the following articles for our Spring podcast: Our JSOM Podcast team of Alex Merkle and Josh Randles will review the following articles for our Spring podcast: Development and Implementation of a Standard Operating Procedure for Military Working Dog Blood Collection, Storage, a…

Our JSOM Podcast team of Alex Merkle and Josh Randles will be reviewing the following articles for our Winter podcast: Optimizing Brain Health of United States Special Operations Forces by Brian L. Edlow, Natalie Gilmore, Samatha L. Tromly, et al. (www.jsomonline.org/FeatureArticles/2023447Edlow) Bluetooth Tactical Headsets Improve the Speed of Acc…

Our JSOM Podcast team of Alex Merkle and Josh Randles will be reviewing the following articles for our Fall podcast: Slow Intravenous Infusion of a Novel Damage Control Cocktail Decreases Blood Loss in a Pig Polytrauma Model by Nathan J. White, MD, MS, et al. (www.jsomonline.org/FeatureArticles/2023350White.pdf) Pain Control and Point-of-Care Ultra…

SO1 Brentyn Jones, Navy SEAL/SOCM, currently, working in the Tactical Medical Training Department, will be review Prevalence of Trauma-Induced Hypocalcemia in the Prehospital Setting. Patrick Thompson is affiliated with the Trauma, Hemostasis & Oxygenation Research Network, Bergen, Norway. He will be review Risk of Harm in Needle Decompression for …

Our guest medic editor this quarter, SSG Blake Wright, enlisted in 2013 and has since served in various roles across the 173d, 82d Airborne, and USASOC. He currently serves as a Special Operations Flight Medic and has future aspirations of applying to the Inter-Service Physician Assistant Program. He will review The Effect of Prehospital Blood Tran…

Our guest medic editor this quarter is Devin DeFeo, a former SOF medic. 2LT DeFeo enlisted in the Army in 2004 and served as an 18D with 1SFG(A) and USASOC. As a medic, he authored the concept for MARCHE2 for TCCC in the chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) environment published in JSOM, which later formed the framework for the Jo…

This podcast is focused on research and contributions made by women in service to the military. We start with a review of "Women in US Military History" by Gretchen Garceau-Kragh. Guest medic HM1(FMF/EXW) Eric Dodson reviews "Active Warfighter Resilience: A Descriptive Analysis" by Nikki Barczak-Scarborov, et. al. Finally, we give an objective revi…

The Summer podcast features articles written primarily by medics and non-physicians. This entire journal is focused on the Critical Care aspect of SOF Medicine, so we wanted to invite the tip of the spear medics to talk about their research in this podcast. The first article is, "Analgesia and Sedation in the Prehospital Setting: A Critical Care Vi…

In this episode of the JSOM Podcast, Alex and Josh start by reviewing, "Use of Walking Blood Bank at Point of Injury During Combat Operations: A Case Report" by Gaddy, et. al. Associate Editor Rico Pesce and guest reviewer Pete Moreno review "Comprehensive Ultrasound Course for Special Operations Combat and Tactical Medics" by Fatima, et. al. Lastl…

The Spring podcast is a little late, but well worth the wait! In this podcast, our experts Josh and Alex review articles from Dr. Alexander Iteen and Dr. Hossam Abdou. Guest Medic PJ Pelaez reviews the article from PA Brett TerBeek. Josh and Alex are joined by Dr. Jonathan Morrison, coauthor of the Swine Polytrauma article. Their discussion delves …

In this episode of the JSOM Podcast, Alex and Josh start by reviewing, "Timeline of Psychological and Physiological Effects Occurring During Military Deployment on a Medical Team" by Hall, et. al. Guest reviewer Rico Pesce and SSG Meredith Cole review "Blood Product Administration During Transport Throughout the US Africa Command Theater of Operati…

In this episode of the JSOM Podcast, Alex and Josh review 3 articles from the Summer journal. They review articles on Infectious Myositis in the Austere Setting by Simon Sarkisian, Autopy-Determined Atherosclerosis in SOF Forces by Russ Kotwal, and 23.4% Hypertonic Saline by Eric DeSousy for the Summer journal. Don't forget to follow us on our Soci…

We are honored to sit with Dr. Russ Kotwal, President of the Special Operations Medical Association. In this interview, Dr. Kotwal talks about the Association and the upcoming SOMSA symposium, to be held in Charlotte, North Carolina from June 28 - July 2, 2021. This year's scientific assembly will be held in-person, following current CDC and state …

In this episode of the JSOM Podcast, Alex and Josh begin the podcast with an interesting open discussion about recent cases of patients travelling to Mexico to receive plastic surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic. Josh and Alex provide their analysis on the articles outlining the Secondary Traumatic Stress in Emergency Services Systems (STRESS) Pro…

We close out the 20th anniversary interview series with another of the pillars of our SOF medical community - Doc Rush from pararescue. He helps us learn more about the tremendous advances in special operations en route care over the last 20 years. We also get to hear about his background and how he serendipitously become involved with pararescue i…

We take a swing into civilian practice with the world-renowned rotor wing tactical detail from Los Angeles. Steve helps us better understand the original transfer of tactical skills from military to law enforcement setting after the Korean war. We then find out about the absorption of tactical medicine into special weapons and tactics (SWAT) teams …

The Journal had the great pleasure to sit down and chat with one of the great leaders in SOF medicine, recently retired Dr Redman. He uses his extensive experience developing and improving prehospital REBOA care delivery to give us a wide-ranging education on the topic. We review the original of REBOA in the Korean Conflict and its subsequent trans…

In this episode of the JSOM Podcast, Alex and Josh discuss the articles "Life and Limb In-Flight Surgical Intervention: Fifteen Years of Experience by Joint Medical Augmentation Unit Surgical Resuscitation Teams" and "Austere Surgical Team Management of an Unusual Tropical Disease: A Case Study in East Africa". Guest reviewer medic SGT Greg Spencer…

We end the year with a discussion from none other than THE Dr Frank Butler. He helps us review the state of combat care 20 years ago when the JSOM and TCCC both started. We learn about how he came to have an interest in improving the quality and delivery of combat care and the many different evolving roles he has had in combat casualty care. He als…

We end the year with a discussion from none other than THE Dr Frank Butler. He helps us review the state of combat care 20 years ago when the JSOM and TCCC both started. We learn about how he came to have an interest in improving the quality and delivery of combat care and the many different evolving roles he has had in combat casualty care. He als…

Dr Maves had so much information packed into his interview that we couldn't keep it all within the hardball. It's like a double chocolate cake with chocolate chips; too much goodness! We've broken the interview into two pieces, the main interview and Dr Maves' excellent review of the current JTS wound care CPG. Please join us for both and let us kn…

In one of our most scientifically robust discussions, we go down the rabbit hole with Dr Maves and learn about some of the advances in antibiotic selection and use in the PFC environment. He helps us learn about the many changes in antimicrobial therapy that the military has seen in the past 20 years; and how much is still the same from the past 50…

Strategic SOF pivots to AFRICOM and INDOPACOM have brought a number of surprises, such as treating snakebites. We caught up with one of the current snakebite SMEs to learn what got him interested in the field and how the arena of snakebite care has developed over the past couple of decades. In yet another rousting bit of education, he breaks down t…

In this episode of the JSOM Podcast, Alex and Josh discuss the articles "Ketamine Administration by Special Operatinos Medical Personnel During Training Mishaps". Guest Rico Pesce breaks down the article, "Far Forward Gaps in Hemorrhagic Shock and Prolonged Field Care: An Update of ALM Fluid Therapy for Field Use". Alex and Josh also discuss, "Mana…

We settle down to chat with one of the reigning champions of Prolonged Field Care (PFC), Dr Jamie Riesberg. He helps educate us about where the modern impetus for creating PFC treatments came from and what it looks like now. We review the thought process and resources available to the SOF medic practicing in the austere environment. Hope you enjoy …

The 20th Anniversary interview series continues with LTC Rich Lesperance. LTC Lesperance is a surgeon at Brook Army Medical Center. Rich came up through the enlisted ranks as a Special Forces Medic. He earned his commission through medical school and continues to serve the SpecOps community as a trauma surgeon. In this interview, LTC Lesperance dis…

In this episode of the JSOM Podcast, Alex and Josh discuss the article, "Step Duration Effects on Blood Loss in Simulated Designs of Tourniquet Use Procedure". Guest Will Price breaks down the article, "Clothing Effects on Limb Tourniquet Application", and authors Matt Douma and Peter Brindley discuss their article, "Temporizing Life-Threatening Ab…

We continue our 20th Anniversary interview series with world-renowed tourniquet expert Dr. John Kragh. In this interview, Dr. Kragh takes us through his history in becoming a tourniquet expert as well as detailing the evolution of toruniquet use in combat situations as a battalion surgeon in Southwest Asia. Tourniquet use has evolved considerably e…

Please join us as we catch up with CMSgt Rubio, currently the commandant of the 351st Special Warfare Training Squadron of the PJ schoolhouse at Kirtland AFB. We had the privilege of hearing about his wide-ranging career as a SOF medic before diving into a discussion about the PJ training pipeline. It's a great opportunity to hear from the best abo…

>Rick Hines has a long history in Special Operations and is currently an instructor Special Warfare Training Group. He teaches at the SF Medical Sergeant Recertification Course and focuses on anesthesia and surgical care in the austere environment. Rick and Josh have a long conversation discussing the benefits of recycling at the 18D course, histor…

In this episode of the JSOM Podcast, Alex reviews the Combat Medics' Aid Bag Inventory by Schauer, et. al.; Josh breaks down a basic science article about biomarkers in evacuated patients and Rick Hines from the JSOMTC opines about freeze dried plasma by Cuenca, et. al. in our guest review. In addition, Dr. Jae Choi and Dr. Andriy Batchinsky provid…

In this interview, MAJ Andrew Fisher gives us a great review of pre-hospital whole blood in the military; where we are now and how we got there. He reminds us that, "everything old is new again." The first whole blood transfusion research was done by the military in 1940 and was used extensively in WWII and the Korean War. Supply limitations during…

In this interview, we chat with MSgt Shawn Anderson, Pararescue Medical Program Manager. This interview focuses on the history of pre-hospital analgesia within the PJ (and SOF) community and how it has changed in the recent past. Only 20 short years ago, we were still using morphine on the battlefield, with little practice change since the civil wa…

The 20th anniversary special interview series starts off by chatting with former Army ranger and current SOMA president MSG (Ret) Harold "Monty" Montgomery about the evolution of TCCC over the last 20 years since the start of the JSOM. Monty also gives us a look to the future of TCCC and the plans the Committee on TCCC have for the way forward. We …

This podcast reviews 3 articles. Shared Blood: Expeditionary Resuscitative Surgical Team (ERST-5) Use of Local Whole Blood to Improve Resuscitation of Host Nation Partner Forces by Melanie Bowman, et. al., The Good, the Bad, and the Future of Drones in Tactical/Operational Medicine by Keegan Bradley, and Guest host Ricky Ditzel, Research and Develo…

This podcast reviews 3 articles. Getting Tourniquets Right = Getting Tourniquets Tight by Piper Wall, et. al.; Interventions Performed on Mulipurpose Military Working dogs in the Prehospital Combat Setting: A Comprehensive Case Series Report by Lauren Reeves, et. al.; and The Use of Tranexamic Acid in the Prehospital Setting: A Retrospective Study …