We are committed to improving the data available about special operations families. In collaboration with health and well-being thought leaders throughout the SOF community and beyond, our initiatives seek to enhance and elevate unique research into SOF wellness, improve programs designed for military families, and ensure that information and resources available to the community align with best practices.
SOF Medical Initiative
Chairman: Dr. Jeffrey Tiede
This initiative will collaboratively identify common language needed to better identify, discuss, and treat unique comorbid health challenges that are occuring due to SOF occupational and lifestyle stress. Further, this effort will surface concerns experienced by providers, and uncover other unrecognized barriers to care or treatment. Downstream goals include:
- Enhance medical understanding of allostatic overload in SOF
- Better identify and information share knowledge on comorbid clusters
- Spur longitudinal and interdisciplinary research on sustained high performance and long term well-being
- Improve health communication to SOF leaders, service members, and families
SOF Suicide Prevention Task Force
Chairman: Lainey Crown
The mission of this task force is to develop a High Performance and Recovery strategy that informs leadership behavior, validates the family, and broadens community understanding of mission success by recognizing the long-view of service in special operations. Products of this Task Force will enable SOF leaders at the tactical, operational, and strategic levels to take aggressive action to reduce suicidal ideation and improve readiness by utilizing strategies focused on optimizing SOF performance and effectively supporting families.
SOF Cancer Task Force
Chairman: Rob Newson
This Task Force will posture to support collaborative and coordinating efforts occurring within active duty forces, veteran service organizations, the special operations community, and other invested efforts and organizations seeking to better understand the impact of cancer diagnosis and care in SOF. This Task Force will specifically seek to enhance transparency and information sharing to support research; increase access and awareness to cancer screening, health education, and improved care and support; and facilitate efficient collaboration for community benefit.
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