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USAMMDA team joins DoD and medical leaders for annual Special Operations medical conference in Raleigh, N.C.

By T. T. ParishMay 14, 2024

USAMMDA team joins DoD and medical leaders for annual Special Operations medical conference in Raleigh, N.C.
Team members with the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Development Activity gather for a photo during the Special Operations Medical Association (SOMA) annual conference, Raleigh, North Carolina, May 14, 2024. USAMMDA, a subordinate activity of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command at Fort Detrick, Maryland, is comprised of four Project Management Offices. Coordinating with DoD, non-DoD and government stakeholders, team members from the individual PMOs work to develop and deliver lifesaving and life-preserving devices, treatments, drugs, vaccines, and medical support equipment for the military Joint Forces. (Photo Credit: Cameron Parks) VIEW ORIGINAL

Team members with the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Development Activity joined thousands of military and medical experts today to kick off the Special Operations Medical Association (SOMA) annual conference, Raleigh, North Carolina, May 14, 2024.

SOMA brings together experts in prehospital, tactical, wilderness, austere, disaster, and deployed medicine to advance the art and science of special operations medical care, according to the organization’s website. The conference also offers the opportunity for medical providers and experts from across the DoD, medical development industry, and academia to discuss the current and future states of military medicine, and to showcase capabilities and information about development programs designed to preserve and protect America’s Warfighters.

“One of USAMMDA’s roles is engaging with our partners in the U.S. special operations community and military services to help refine our approach to developing and fielding the devices and treatments our Warfighters will need during future operations across the globe,” said U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Andrew Procter, senior enlisted advisor with USAMMDA. “Events like the SOMA conference give us a chance to show our DoD and industry partners what we are working toward, how to partner with our team, and what we do to equip current and future frontline medical providers across the Joint Forces.”

According to SOMA planners, this scientific assembly is the largest gathering of special forces medical providers in the world, and includes U.S. military, foreign military, domestic tactical law enforcement, and tactical EMS providers.

During the conference, USAMMDA experts plan to showcase the current top-tier medical development programs managed by the organization. Another notable feature of USAMMDA’s contribution to the conference is the clinical vignette scheduled to be presented by former special forces medic and USAMMDA guest Andrew Patrick.

Patrick, a former U.S. Navy corpsman with the 1st Marine Raider Battalion and current student at Stanford University, will explain his role as a special operations medic and how French Freeze-Dried Plasma, a treatment fielded and managed by USAMMDA’s Force Health Protection Directorate, was used during real-world operations in the Philippines in 2020.

USAMMDA currently has more than two dozen ongoing research and development efforts across the spectrum of combat casualty care. USAMMDA will highlight these efforts during scheduled exhibit hours to spread awareness of current development programs and network with industry representatives to cultivate future opportunities.

USAMMDA, a subordinate activity of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command at Fort Detrick, Maryland, is comprised of four Project Management Offices. Coordinating with DoD, non-DoD and government stakeholders, team members from the individual PMOs work to develop and deliver lifesaving and life-preserving devices, treatments, drugs, vaccines, and medical support equipment for the military Joint Forces.

For more information about USAMMDA and how to partner with the U.S. Army medical development enterprise, visit https://usammda.health.mil/.