Journal of Special Operations Medicine - Podcasts

Medical Editor's Introduction Highlights two additional articles not covered in the podcast: "Expeditionary Point of Care Ultrasound for Combat in Austere Environments" — discusses challenges of forward-deployed POCUS (environmental extremes, limited power, skill sustainment) and proposes a structured framework. "The Use of Trauma Gel for Hemorrhage Control and Tourniquet Removal" — a case series...

Episode Description: In this spring edition of the Journal of Special Operations Medicine Podcast , the team examines evolving challenges at the intersection of behavioral health, combat trauma care, and medical technology in austere environments. Drawing from recent JSOM publications, the discussion highlights how modern warfare—characterized by remote engagement, prolonged care timelines, and ra...

Thirty years after the emergence of Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC), this inaugural episode brings together two voices deeply connected to its legacy. Host Sam Patrick sits down with Dr. Frank Butler, the architect of modern TCCC, for a focused conversation on the lessons that shaped the framework—and the challenges now facing its future. Drawing from operational experience and contemporary o...

The Winter 2026 edition of the Journal of Special Operations Medicine Podcast brings together hosts Jessica Rodriguez , Sydney Duke , and Matthew Farinella for a lively, insightful discussion that blends medical education, operational readiness, and the evolving demands of military medicine. 🎙️ Episode Highlights Team Updates & Military Match: The hosts share personal updates on rotations, mat...

🎙️ Fall 2025 JSOM Podcast In this edition of the Journal of Special Operations Medicine (JSOM) Podcast, hosts Jessica, Sydney, and Matthew explore three cutting-edge articles shaping the future of operational medicine: 🛡️ Penetrating Axilla Injuries in Ceramic Plate Coverage: Matthew unpacks a compelling case series on the effectiveness of four-plate body armor systems in protecting vital axillary...

This summer, Jessica will review “Ultrasound Use by Special Operations Combat Medics: A Narrative Review Limited to the JSOM” by Dr. Jonathan Curley. (https://jsomonline.org/product/ultrasound-use-by-special-operations-combat-medics-a-narrative-review-limited-to-the-jsom/) The heart of this article provides an overview of how Special Operations Combat Medics (SOCMs) use ultrasound in clinical prac...

We welcome our new podcasters, 2d Lt Jessica Rodriguez, USAF, 2LT Matthew Farinella, USA, and ENS Sydney Duke USNR to our podcast team. We thank and appreciate Alex Merkle and Josh Randles for all their hard work giving great reviews of our articles each quarter. Jessica, Matthew, and Sydney will review the following articles: The Use of Different Types of Supraglottic Airway Devices by Medics on...

A U.S. Soldier on a night patrol hears a gunshot, feels a sharp pain in the right side, and yells, “I’m hit.” The unit medic quickly moves to the casualty’s side. The wounded Soldier thinks of the family waiting at home and says to the medic: “Doc—will you please tell my family that I love them.” The medic responds, “Hey—shut up! I got this. You’re gonna be fine, and you’re going home to your fami...

Our JSOM Podcast team of Alex Merkle and Josh Randles will be reviewing the following articles for our Summer podcast: Advancing Combat Casualty Care Statistics and Other Battlefield Care Metrics by Jud C. Janak, Russ S. Kotwal, Jeffrey T. Howard, Jennifer M. Gurney, Brian J. Eastridge, John B. Holcomb, Stacy S. Shackelford, Robert A. De Lorenzo, Ian J. Stewart, and Edward L. Mazuchowsk (https://j...

Our JSOM Podcast team of Alex Merkle and Josh Randles will be reviewing the following articles for our Spring podcast: Our JSOM Podcast team of Alex Merkle and Josh Randles will review the following articles for our Spring podcast: Development and Implementation of a Standard Operating Procedure for Military Working Dog Blood Collection, Storage, and Transport by Elizabeth L. Evernham, Benjamin T....

Our JSOM Podcast team of Alex Merkle and Josh Randles will be reviewing the following articles for our Winter podcast: Optimizing Brain Health of United States Special Operations Forces by Brian L. Edlow, Natalie Gilmore, Samatha L. Tromly, et al. (https://jsomonline.org/product/optimizing-brain-health-of-united-states-special-operations-forces/) Bluetooth Tactical Headsets Improve the Speed of Ac...

Our JSOM Podcast team of Alex Merkle and Josh Randles will be reviewing the following articles for our Fall podcast: Slow Intravenous Infusion of a Novel Damage Control Cocktail Decreases Blood Loss in a Pig Polytrauma Model by Nathan J. White, MD, MS, et al. (https://jsomonline.org/product/slow-intravenous-infusion-of-a-novel-damage-control-cocktail-decreases-blood-loss-in-a-pig-polytrauma-model/...

SO1 Brentyn Jones, Navy SEAL/SOCM, currently, working in the Tactical Medical Training Department, will be review Prevalence of Trauma-Induced Hypocalcemia in the Prehospital Setting. Patrick Thompson is affiliated with the Trauma, Hemostasis & Oxygenation Research Network, Bergen, Norway. He will be review Risk of Harm in Needle Decompression for Tension Pneumothorax. CPT Josh Randles will review...

Our guest medic editor this quarter, SSG Blake Wright, enlisted in 2013 and has since served in various roles across the 173d, 82d Airborne, and USASOC. He currently serves as a Special Operations Flight Medic and has future aspirations of applying to the Inter-Service Physician Assistant Program. He will review The Effect of Prehospital Blood Transfusion on Patient Body Temperature from the Time...

Our guest medic editor this quarter is Devin DeFeo, a former SOF medic. 2LT DeFeo enlisted in the Army in 2004 and served as an 18D with 1SFG(A) and USASOC. As a medic, he authored the concept for MARCHE2 for TCCC in the chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) environment published in JSOM, which later formed the framework for the Joint Trauma System Clinical Practice Guidelines on...

This podcast is focused on research and contributions made by women in service to the military. We start with a review of "Women in US Military History" by Gretchen Garceau-Kragh. Guest medic HM1(FMF/EXW) Eric Dodson reviews "Active Warfighter Resilience: A Descriptive Analysis" by Nikki Barczak-Scarborov, et. al. Finally, we give an objective review of "Operation Blood Rain Phase 2: Evaluating th...

The Summer podcast features articles written primarily by medics and non-physicians. This entire journal is focused on the Critical Care aspect of SOF Medicine, so we wanted to invite the tip of the spear medics to talk about their research in this podcast. The first article is, "Analgesia and Sedation in the Prehospital Setting: A Critical Care Viewpoint" by Taylor DeRosiersm et. al. "Mechanical...

The Spring podcast is a little late, but well worth the wait! In this podcast, our experts Josh and Alex review articles from Dr. Alexander Iteen and Dr. Hossam Abdou. Guest Medic PJ Pelaez reviews the article from PA Brett TerBeek. Josh and Alex are joined by Dr. Jonathan Morrison, coauthor of the Swine Polytrauma article. Their discussion delves into the particulars of the research and adds an e...

In this episode of the JSOM Podcast, Alex and Josh start by reviewing, "Use of Walking Blood Bank at Point of Injury During Combat Operations: A Case Report" by Gaddy, et. al. Associate Editor Rico Pesce and guest reviewer Pete Moreno review "Comprehensive Ultrasound Course for Special Operations Combat and Tactical Medics" by Fatima, et. al. Lastly, Alex and Josh review a 2-part series on Stress...

In this episode of the JSOM Podcast, Alex and Josh start by reviewing, "Timeline of Psychological and Physiological Effects Occurring During Military Deployment on a Medical Team" by Hall, et. al. Guest reviewer Rico Pesce and SSG Meredith Cole review "Blood Product Administration During Transport Throughout the US Africa Command Theater of Operation," by Schauer, et. al. Josh and Alex discuss, "I...

In this episode of the JSOM Podcast, Alex and Josh review 3 articles from the Summer journal. They review articles on Infectious Myositis in the Austere Setting by Simon Sarkisian, Autopy-Determined Atherosclerosis in SOF Forces by Russ Kotwal, and 23.4% Hypertonic Saline by Eric DeSousy for the Summer journal. Don't forget to follow us on our Social Media platforms @jsomonline https://jsom.us/Pod...

We are honored to sit with Dr. Russ Kotwal, President of the Special Operations Medical Association. In this interview, Dr. Kotwal talks about the Association and the upcoming SOMSA symposium, to be held in Charlotte, North Carolina from June 28 - July 2, 2021. This year's scientific assembly will be held in-person, following current CDC and state of North Carolina health guidelines. Visit our Soc...

In this episode of the JSOM Podcast, Alex and Josh begin the podcast with an interesting open discussion about recent cases of patients travelling to Mexico to receive plastic surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic. Josh and Alex provide their analysis on the articles outlining the Secondary Traumatic Stress in Emergency Services Systems (STRESS) Project and Conversion of the AAJT to REBOA in a Swin...

We close out the 20th anniversary interview series with another of the pillars of our SOF medical community - Doc Rush from pararescue. He helps us learn more about the tremendous advances in special operations en route care over the last 20 years. We also get to hear about his background and how he serendipitously become involved with pararescue in the latter part of his civilian physician career...

We take a swing into civilian practice with the world-renowned rotor wing tactical detail from Los Angeles. Steve helps us better understand the original transfer of tactical skills from military to law enforcement setting after the Korean war. We then find out about the absorption of tactical medicine into special weapons and tactics (SWAT) teams and its recent drastic evolution, thanks to the ha...