Optimal Performance
Cognitive Endurance for the Modern Operator: Introducing the VALOR Program
Recognizing the intense need for cognitive endurance and performance in the SOF community, the Military Special Operations Family Collaborative is partnering with Dr. Megan Vaughan at iPerformance Labs to offer the VALOR Program — Vital Awareness for Lifelong Operator Resilience — a cognitive performance pilot program built specifically for the demands of the SOF career…
Read More >
Working Group Transforms to a GSOF Committee: A New Chapter for Health and Human Performance in SOF
A message from MSOFC leadership MSOFC is proud to announce that the Health and Human Performance (HHP) Working Group has officially been elevated to a standing Committee of the Global SOF Foundation (GSOF). For those of us at the Military Special Operations Family Collaborative, this is more than an organizational milestone — it’s validation of…
Read More >GSOF’s Health and Human Performance Working Group – Join this Bold Effort
The legacy of special operations is grounded in the first SOF truth: humans are more important than hardware. This is not just a motto—it is an operational reality. Technology may accelerate missions, but it is the operator whose body, mind, and character determine success in the most demanding environments on earth. And yet, honoring this…
Read More >
Prevalence of Sleep Apnea in Special Operations Forces
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a highly prevalent and underrecognized condition among retired and active Special Operations Forces (SOF) personnel, with unique challenges and treatment needs shaped by their service history and lifestyle.
Read More >Simple Steps to Real Relief: Reducing Reliance on Substances
By Shayla Hayward-Lundy, LPAT, CSAC-S, ATR-BC, RYT For many in the Special Operations community, alcohol, prescription medications, and caffeine are a part of daily life. Especially if you served a full career and logged hundreds of jumps and racked up many deployments, substances may seem like an efficient tool to manage chronic pain, sleepless nights,…
Read More >
When Metabolism & Immunity Collide: The Cycle Behind Chronic Illness
By Brain Treatment Center Ashburn, Marsha Lessard Dysregulated metabolism and chronic immune activation fuel each other. This is often the case in patients dealing with PTSD, trauma, TBI, autism, long COVID, and chronic fatigue. Research confirms, “Disruptions to appropriate immune responses and metabolic processes create a vicious cycle that accelerates the development of various chronic…
Read More >
Quick Reads on Allostatic Load (AKA Operator Syndrome)
Service in special operations tests the limits of human potential. SOF service members have a unique capacity to endure challenges, compartmentalize pain, and accomplish the mission before them. Yet we all know that a career in SOF is often accompanied by a commonly experienced “pattern of injuries and impairments.” These injuries and health challenges are…
Read More >V.A.L.O.R Program for SOF
Recognizing the intense need for cognitive endurance and performance in the SOF community, the Military Special Operations Family Collaborative is partnering with Dr. Megan Vaughan at iPerformance Labs to offer the VALOR program – a cognitive performance pilot program. The unique organizational structures and mission requirements of Special Operations Forces (SOF) create stressors not typically…
Read More >
Chronic Back Pain in SOF – A Deep Dive Event
On August 29th, 2023, MSOFC was proud to host David Simons and Rachelle Yusufbekov from Return to Duty (link) and neurosurgeons Dr. Peter Derman (link), Dr. Ali Mesiwala (link), and Dr. Lynn McGrath (link) for a virtual SOF Health Deep Dive event exploring chronic back pain and care in special ops. The evening kicked off with a discussion on how Return to Duty…
Read More >
Therapy is More Than Just Talking
There’s a common misconception that therapy just means sitting in a chair and talking for 45-60 minutes. Although approximately 75% of patients benefit from “traditional” talk therapy, dozens of other psychotherapy practices offer alternative and complementary avenues for healing and support. This is particularly beneficial for special operations service members, veterans, and families who face…
Read More >