Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Russell Lindsey | 250404-N-BC658-1997 FORT BRAGG, NC (Apr. 04, 2025) A special operations medic of the...... read more read more
FORT BRAGG, N.C. – Drones buzzed overhead, special operators stalked through the shoot houses, and medics monitored vital signs of patients in the field. This wasn't some disconnected tech demo or surgical exercise; this was integrated, visceral, and real. At the U.S. Army Special Operations Command’s capabilities exercise (CAPEX 2025), March 31-April 6, 2025, the convergence of cutting-edge technology, tactics, and battlefield medicine took center stage, showcasing how the Army is redefining irregular warfare and how, strangely, Navy Medicine is a part of that plan.
“We are considering all ideas and avenues to make our forces the most capable and lethal on the battlefield”, said Lt. Gen. Jonathan Braga, USASOC's commanding general.
The exercise was designed to be an immersive experience to put attendees in the operational mindset of the USASOC command. The visit began with remembrance of those who had come before and given all in sacrifice with former special operations forces (SOF) operators giving firsthand account to the lingering memories and emotional wounds felt by each loss. As the exercise progressed, the observers were taken to the new Human Performance Force Generation building, commonly referred to as HP Forge, a purpose-built facility to provide special operations forces a holistic environment to train and recuperate from the grueling physical demands their jobs require. Boasting a staff of professional trainers and wellness experts with top tier credentialling that wouldn’t seem out of place for professional athletic teams, the HP Forge staff and USASOC leadership showed what they are doing to rehabilitate and retain operators wounded in the field from what otherwise could be career ending injuries.
Those in attendance got a small taste of these physical demands through some team building exercises used to put them in a cooperative mindset. Using sandbags, weights, and manikins which needed to be moved, as a team, individuals had to communicate and coordinate action in order to get all training devices across the finish line. After receiving a short brief by Command Sergeant Major Lionel A. Strong, Command Sergeant Major, U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, emphasizing the need for support facilities and training that encompasses the holistic view of warfighters and warfighting, the attendees were transported to a simulated in-theater scenario with emphasis on operating in a contested area.
Among the personnel involved in the immersive scenarios being showcased were Soldiers and Sailors from the Joint Special Operations Medical Training Center (JSOMTC) – yeah, you heard that right, Medical – who showed attendees and the brass how they're adding to the fight, not by bandaging boo-boos, but training to tackle real life-threatening injuries, implementing fast and effective interventions, and affecting real patient outcomes on the other side.
Some of the JSOMTC personnel simulated being casualties while others acted as simulated combatants and caregivers directing those in attendance to render first aid. The exercise was wholly designed to be immersive and engaging to all those in attendance. Congressional reps, military leaders, academics, even some salty and well-seasoned joint and coalition Special Operations Forces types got a taste of the new reality and ever-shifting landscape of combat casualty care in war. They scrubbed in – literally – assisting SOF medics during a mass casualty scenario requiring many to step out of their comfort zone entirely or practice skills they may not be specialized in and rely heavily on the skills and direction of their SOF counterparts.
“The experience proved both deeply rewarding and profoundly invigorating,” said, Commanding Officer of the Navy Medicine Operational Training Command (NMOTC) Capt. Nichole Olson. “Firsthand insight into the challenges our Soldiers and Sailors confront, even within a simulated environment, reinforces the indispensable value of the rigorous training standards we uphold.”
Directly engaging attendees and leadership was aimed to bring attention to the difficulties of patient movement in a contested area and see how forces deal with life-threatening injuries quickly while still allowing forces for rapid movement and extraction. The event even showcased advances in rapid closure devices for ongoing surgeries that allow for rapid egress while helping to allow as sterile an environment as possible to battlefield care. Forget just spraying simulated blood; this was a full-sensory gut check right down to the simulated surgical capabilities and real time patient information transfer.
The collaboration between the joint medical forces was showcased in all its glory as the combat medics and independent duty corpsmen ran through patient care scenarios from point of impact to egress. While it should go without saying that two heads are better than one the sentiment of mutually beneficial partnership was best summed up by JSOMTC Commanding Officer Col. Kent Solheim during an official visit with Capt. Olson the day prior.
“The fantastic and enduring relationship between the Army and Navy here at JSOMTC is the model for all joint partnerships and training,” said Solheim.
The culminating event, a compound raid by U.S. Army Rangers. It can only be described as a brutal ballet of controlled chaos. Waterfalls of tinkling brass rained down from two MH-47 Chinooks assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment “The Night Stalkers” delivered suppressing fire as two teams of Rangers descended upon the buildings below. The observers bore witness to the speed and professional precision a team of operators with a clear and concise objective can accomplish, to take the enemy by any and all means. After a hail of gunfire, flash bangs, and green smoke it was over. All too quickly the objectives were secured and all potential hostiles subdued leaving many in awe and contemplation.
CAPEX 2025 wasn't just about gadgets and gizmos, though they were in abundance. It was a raw, visceral reminder that the future of warfare isn't about bigger bombs, but about stronger bodies and resilient minds, and effective delivery of life-saving care in austere, and more than likely contested environments allowing us to bring our forces home. JSOMTC and the staff of the Naval Special Operations Institute (NSOMI) are leading the charge in meeting those challenges. Through their continued effort at JSOMTC the Army, Navy and Marines receive some of the most highly trained and effective special operations medical providers in the military today.
For more information about CAPEX visit the USASOC DVIDS page https://www.dvidshub.net/unit/USASOC
For more news from NMOTC, visit http://www.dvidshub.net/unit/NMOTC
| Date Taken: | 04.07.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 05.12.2025 10:11 |
| Story ID: | 497611 |
| Location: | FORT BRAGG, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 90 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Tech, Tactics, and Trauma: Cutting-Edge Medicine on Display at CAPEX 2025, by PO1 Russell Lindsey, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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