3rd Special Forces Group’s Readiness Assessment integrates UNC’s ATTAC Forces Initiative

FORT BRAGG, NC, UNITED STATES

04.06.2023

Story by Sgt. Gabriel Davis 

3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne)

FORT BRAGG, North Carolina – A clinical research team from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC)’s Matthew Gfellar Center collaborated with 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) Mar. 29-30, 2023 to assess and mitigate the long-term effects of combat on service members’ holistic health through the Assessing and Tracking Tactical (ATTAC) Forces Initiative. This initiative is part of 3rd SFG(A)’s own Comprehensive Operator Readiness Assessment (CORA), which aims to enhance warfighter long-term brain health, while prioritizing optimization, readiness, and lethality.
CORA is an annual holistic, multi-disciplinary assessment unique to 3rd SFG(A) that empowers operators and leaders to intervene on issues that may negatively impact mission capabilities, such as diet, injuries, suicide, and work-life balance. ATTAC strengthens CORA’s vision by incorporating UNC Chapel Hill’s world-renowned sports-medicine department to better serve America’s warrior athletes.
The Matthew Gfellar Center, led by Dr. Jason Mihalik, is a sports-medicine research facility located at UNC Chapel Hill that specializes in traumatic brain injuries for athletic and military personal. Since 2011, the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, UNC Chapel Hill, and the Matthew Gfeller Center have collaborated to create ATTAC, which was created to collect and analyze neurophysiological, human performance, clinical, and psychometric outcomes collected on Special Operation Forces (SOF) and Special Forces (SF) combat and combat support personnel.
“Our decade-long military research partnership has afforded the Matthew Gfeller Center team a deeper appreciation for the sacrifices made by our nation’s service members and the lasting impact those experiences may have on their long-term neurological and psychological health,” Mihalik said.
ATTAC is composed of three tiers, beginning with Acclimatizing Warfighters through Actionable Research (AWARE), which is an evaluation used to assess baseline performance for newly selected SOF combat Soldiers. Next is Evolution Protocol (EvoPro), which is an evaluation used to assess the ongoing performance for current SOF combat Soldiers. And lastly, Transforming Health and Resiliency in Veterans (THRIVE), which assesses long-term outcomes for retired SOF combat Soldiers.
“In order to know where you’re going, as far as optimizing human performance, you need to get a baseline of where it is you're at,” said Master Sgt. Russell Dallas, a CORA coordinator and Human Performance and Wellness (HPW) coordinator for 3rd SFG(A). “This really helps determine quite a few snapshots,” he added. “So, we get that snapshot, then implement some sort of training program to improve it. Then in a follow up CORA test, we see if what they're doing is working, and whether it's cognitive performance or physical performance.”
With funding from Special Operations Command fueling the research study and participation from Joint Special Operations Command, ATTAC plans to focus on performance outcomes collected by 3rd SFG(A) in order to assess vision and sensory performance, muscular skeletal assessments, balance assessments, and various psychosocial metrics around issues such as anxiety, depression, and resilience with hopes of preserving SOF combat soldiers throughout their careers.
The evaluation takes about two hours to complete and is broken into six stations: a Range of Movement assessment, Movement Efficiency assessment, the Y Balance Test [requires Soldiers to balance on one leg whilst simultaneously reaching as far as possible with the other leg in three separate directions, with the main leg stationary in the middle of a Y axis], the Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) [Soldiers stand and balance themselves in three different positions on both a firm and cushioned surface, for up to 20 seconds], sensory performance tests, and a psychological evaluation.
In sequence, the Range of Movement assessment, Movement Efficiency assessment, Y Balance Test, and BESS are used to determine the extent to which a body part can be moved around a joint or fixed point, flexibility, range of motion while simultaneously balancing, and coordination. This information is used to assess a Soldier’s ability to perform the basic functions associated with their daily tasks.
The sensory performance tests assess a Soldier’s response to computer generated brain teasers. Soldiers are tested in areas of hand-eye coordination, depth perception, contrast sensitivity, reaction time, and multiple object tracking. When the test is complete, Soldiers are presented with scores pertaining to each individual test, showing where their strengths and weaknesses lie in each category. This gives ATTAC an in-depth look at how a Soldier’s mind responds to visual stimuli.
Finally, the psychological evaluation provides insight into Soldiers’ attitudes and behaviors. This information can then be used to design training programs that improve engagement and motivation, leading to improved performance and productivity.
Chaplain Captain Brian Funk, 3rd SFG(A), 3rd Battalion Unit Ministry Team, believes the spirit of a person encompasses all areas of one’s psyche and focusing on the spirit leads to CORA’s overall success.
“We’re concerned with people; people aren't machines,” said Funk. “For Chaplains to be a part of something like this, it gives us a seat at the table to meet those needs. Whether it is in the spiritual realm, or whether we want to label it resiliency; there has to be an attempt to try to meet the needs of Soldiers in that unknown, unseen spiritual realm.”
The goal of the regiment is not simply fighting wars - with the fusion of CORA and ATTAC, 3rd SFG(A) is dedicated to protecting the integrity of its service members from within, by standing in the gap and making sure those who dedicate their lives to preserving freedom are also taken care of mentally, physically, and spiritually.

• Date Taken: 04.06.2023
• Date Posted: 04.12.2023 08:42
• Story ID: 442236
• Location: FORT BRAGG, NC, US