NATO hosts meeting of Medical Reserve Forces
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On 30th of January to 3rd February 2023, NATO’s Interallied Confederation of Medical Reserve Officers (CIOMR) held their annual Mid-Winter Meeting at NATO Headquarters, in parallel to the National Reserve Forces Committee (NRFC). This year’s meeting, included a dedicated programme for Junior Medical Reserve Officers.
A key focus of the CIOMR was the new Junior Medical Reserve Officer (JMRO) programming, which delivered a week-long seminar concurrently to this year’s winter meeting. The seminar brought together 35 junior healthcare leaders, from five nations, and aimed to introduce NATO structures and doctrine, enhance shared understanding for interoperability, and establish relationships with partner nations in a learning environment.
Colonel David Willey, the Liaison to NATO’s Committee of Chiefs of Military Medical Services (COMEDS), opened the seminar with an introductory lecture to NATO’s Medical Concepts. These concepts were reinforced through an operational planning exercise delivered by the Multinational Medical Coordination Centre/European Medical Command (MMCC/EMC). This exercise allowed for collaborative learning and small group discussions among some of NATO’s most junior medical officers, setting a foundation for multinational and integrated care delivery in the future operational environment.
The seminar included a Fireside leadership discussion with the Chair of the COMEDS and UK Surgeon General, Major General Tim Hodgetts, who shared his experiences and mentorship on self-guided development to enhance performance in multinational environments. In addition to his Fireside mentorship, Major General Hodgetts delivered a keynote address to the entire CIOMR delegation on the contemporary operating space and its implications for the delivery of healthcare.
Discussions and analysis were enhanced by a Battlefield Study to the Ypres Salient, allowing for on-site visualization and comparative analysis of medical casualty management in near-peer engagements. This was followed by a workshop on medical delivery in Multi-Domain Operations, applying NATO’s newest operational concept to anticipated scenarios in future theatres.
The culminating exercise for the Junior Officers was their participation in a short notice briefing exercise, with minimal time to prepare and deliver a briefing to senior leaders on humanitarian capability building in a disaster scenario.
Closing the seminar, Major General W. Scott Lynn, Commanding General of US Army Medical Command, presented a challenging exploration on the domains of knowledge needed to build a dynamic, operationally fluent medical reserve leader.