News From USJFCOM: Command hosts annual surgeon's seminar

Military Medicine Transformation graphic Command hosts annual surgeon's seminar

U.S. Joint Forces Command recently provided military medical professionals with vital joint task force health care information and requirements they will face as they deploy around the world to support joint warfighters.

By Army Sgt. Jon Cupp
USJFCOM Public Affairs

(NORFOLK, Va. - Dec. 15, 2005) - Military medical professionals must be prepared to support warfighters in joint task forces around the world.

That was the message as U.S. Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM) hosted the 12th Annual Joint Task Force Senior Medical Leader Seminar last week, at the Joint Forces Staff College.

Navy Rear Adm. Gregory A. Timberlake, USJFCOM command surgeon, said the seminar gives senior military medical personnel "a running start" when they are assigned to a joint task force (JTF).

According to Timberlake, a commander's ability to complete his mission largely depends on a healthy, fit force which is able to maintain its health during combat operations.

Additionally, as the Global War on Terrorism continues to evolve, military forces continue to work in stability, security, transition, and reconstruction operations, of which, a substantial component of these operations have a medical flavor, and are referred to as "medical-civil military operations", Timberlake said.

"Poverty, disease, and starvation are some of the major forces that result from conflict and our direct treatment of disease, teaching the people in the country to take care of themselves, and the public health expertise we bring" are all essential to the commander, said Timberlake.

According to Air Force Col. Sandra Evans, USJFCOM's deputy command surgeon, medical professionals from each of the U.S. military services, plus officers from the United Kingdom and Canada, received briefings from experienced professionals who have been actively involved with real-world JTF operations.

Seminar presenters included line officers as well as medical personnel who have worked in JTFs during Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom as well as JTF - Phillippines; JTF - Horn of Africa, and the JTFs that supported tsunami relief and Hurricane Katrina.

Topics highlighted the health service support capabilities inherent in each of the services, NATO overview, JTF headquarters organization and relationships, J-code interfaces, surgeon's cell stand-up and health assessment, crisis action planning, civil support, blood distribution overview, preventive medicine review, humanitarian assistance, civil military and interagency coordination, and other relevant operational medicine topics.

During afternoons, session participants worked in small groups and played out complex JTF exercise scenarios.

"The important thing about this is seeing how people in the different services do health service support, as well as how our coalition partners do things," said Army Maj. Gary Wallace, director of medical plans and training for U.S. Army Special Operations Command. "When we get on the same page, you can use their expertise in areas that are not your lane to help in planning and help mold a system in which there are so many different parts - so you can function better together than independently."

In the wake of military forces taking on more humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts in 2005 including tsunamis in Asia, hurricanes in the U.S. and earthquakes in Pakistan, Timberlake said it was necessary to add some new humanitarian assistance focus areas to the seminar this year.

For following future seminars, Timberlake said medical professionals will continue seeing a strong operational focus and more on their roles in stability, security, transition and reconstruction operations pertaining to the rebuilding of infrastructure and recovery.

Also, consideration is being given to expanding the program to include an interface with other "special staff directorates"; chaplains and legal personnel for example.

Future seminars will also feature more of a focus on working with interagency and coalition partners.