Air Force Special Operations Command Special Operations Surgical Team (sost) Conops
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Description
Air Force Special Operations Command Special Operations Surgical Team (sost) Conops
Ervin MD 8(2). 68
Publication Type: Journal Article
Abstract:
The call for small surgical teams to provide direct support to SOF units has gained intensity over the last seven years. In July of 2003, the need for SOF specific Level II (including forward surgical support) was one of the top SOCOM medical lessons learned from OEF. In October of the same year, SOCOM put forth a tasking to develop organic resuscitative surgical capability within SOF. To respond to this tasking, the components looked to the existing smallest surgical units present in the services’ inventories such as the FST, FRSS, and MFST. Army Forward Surgical Teams (FST) and Navy Forward Resuscitative Surgical Squadrons (FRSS) are designed to provide trauma care during maneuver warfare to battalion- sized forces and have delivered exceptional results in OIF. But even though these units are small compared to traditional Level III surgical hospitals, their size is too large to support emerging and short duration SOF missions. While other components were hindered by the lack of very small surgical units within their services’ conventional inventories, AFSOC was able to rapidly acquire a few Air Force Mobile Field Surgical Teams (MFST) and begin developing the training, tactics, techniques, and procedures to meet the SOF community’s needs. In doing so, it became clear that “SOF specific” surgical units serve a unique customer, must work within unique constraints, and must be agile enough to provide unique solutions. This paper presents the experiences and lessons learned in the ongoing development of the AFSOC Special Operations Surgical Team (SOST).
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