What is the role of a Special Forces Battalion Surgeon?

Nawap Klein — Mon, 23 Mar 2020 11:37:12 -0400

I’m in medical school now (plan to become a family medicine physician) and I am interested in learning more about the role of a Special Forces Battalion Surgeon.

- Are there SF Battalion positions in the National Guard? Can a civilian physician go straight into a job as an SF Battalion Surgeon or do you have to be a non-SF battalion surgeon first?
- Can SF Battalion Surgeons attend SFQC and earn the Green Beret?
- Do SF Battalion Surgeons stay at the battalion aid station, or can they perform down range medical work similar to 18Ds? I realize they won’t send physicians into battle to do combat medic work, but do SF Battalion Surgeons participate in MEDCAPs?

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 23 at 2020 11:43 AM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 23 Mar 2020 11:43:17 -0400

Hopefully, someone with direct experience will get you good answers. However, reach out to your local SF recruiter, and they can probably fill you in or at least put you in touch with a mentor that is filling the current position you're considering. http://www.nationalguardspecialforces.com/recruiting-by-state.html

National Guard Special Forces | Recruiting

Contac information for recruiters for National Guard Special Forces units.

Response by SGT Robert Pryor made Mar 23 at 2020 11:45 AM

SGT Robert Pryor — Mon, 23 Mar 2020 11:45:07 -0400

Excellent questions. I'm pretty sure you can attend the Q course, just like any other officer who meets the qualifications. As for MEDCAPs, depending on the mission, you could probably strap-hang (participate as an extra).

Response by CW2 Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 23 at 2020 12:03 PM

CW2 Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 23 Mar 2020 12:03:25 -0400

If you attend the SFQC you would become an 18A, no longer serving as a medical practitioner. To become an 18D you would need to enlist as an 18X or a different MOS first then attend SFAS.
MEDCAPs aren't that common for SF any more either, as we have the Civil Affairs branch to conduct Civic Action Programs.
The BN surgeon in a SOF BN provides the license for all of the SOCM qualified medics to operate under, as well as the direct supporting advice and oversee all training, medical readiness, qualifications, and mainly speeds up the process for surgeries and medical procedures due to the Operational needs, maturity level, and speed needed, since the normal Army systems are much slower and based on a majority of lower ranking, immature, Soldiers, that there are many more to cover down on. SOF BNs don't have the manpower to allow someone to remain injured, so each one gets a surgeon/MD.
To enter directly as physician/surgeon you need to contact the Guard/Army Medical Recruiters (AMEDD for Army/Army Reserve), as they deal with all medical professionals and direct commissions, if you wish to enlist for 18X then you need the Guard or Active Army Recruiter - there's no SF in the Reserve but there is Civil Affairs, which also has an Active SOF component.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 23 at 2020 12:10 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 23 Mar 2020 12:10:32 -0400

A battalion surgeon is a doctor, not usually a surgeon, assigned to the unit. It's a position you fill and not a role. No, you will not be able to attend the Q Course, there is no MOS called SF Doctor. You would lose all your certifications in the one to two years it would take to become an SF Medic, Engineer, Commo or Weapons SGT, or SF Officer.
The BN surgeon doesn't do trauma medicine with the 18Ds they teach the 18Ds.

Again, it's only a position you fill and would only fill for 2-3 years till your next job

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Mar 24 at 2020 5:56 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Tue, 24 Mar 2020 17:56:20 -0400

You should think of the ramifications should you be called up. I knew a heart surgeon who was called up, his practice did not survive.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 16 at 2020 5:32 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 16 Apr 2020 17:32:49 -0400

Greetings. I'm currently in a SF Battalion Surgeon position with 3SFG, so I'll give you my input if it's helpful.

I agree with most of what the others have said and will add the following:

1. Does Guard have SF? Yes, National Guard has SF. 20SFG is in Alabama and 19SFG is in Utah, for example. I don't know as much about them being active component and having few interactions with their personnel, but you can be SF in the Guard.

2. Can you go straight into SF as a battalion surgeon? In the guard, I don't know. But in the active military you can, yes. Typically, the docs that go into SF positions are family medicine and emergency medicine, and they do go right out of residency as their first assignment. One of my colleagues in a sister battalion went right out of FM residency, and one of the senior residents graduating from his FM program in JUN is going to 10SFG. That said, there are others who sometimes make their way in and come from other specialties (like me...as a neurologist). Unlike a conventional army battalion surgeon position that you might get assigned to, however, SF usually has to pick you. I was hand-picked by my predecessor, for example, and had to interview with the battalion commander, Group Surgeon and a few others. They want to make sure you're a good fit. My advice if you're going over as a doctor is to go over and BE their doctor. You're not going on a team, and frankly, they don't need or want you for that. You're there to help them with their health needs, and they have many. These guys tear themselves up and it makes a big difference to know they have a doc who is going to help them get what they need, and is not just trying to get an MFF slot along with a ton of other schools/opportunities. In fact, they generally don't like those folks. But take care of your guys and when you have an 18Z with 20+ years experience tell you they trust you and they've never gotten care they way you have provided it, that's a huge win.

3. Can you attend SFQC and earn the Green Beret? Some docs and many SF PAs have done this, but usually before they went to medical school. Otherwise, that's pretty uncommon. Think about it from a practical standpoint as a clinician. First, you'd have to convince the military to let you not to medicine for approximately year (which is why have you there to begin with) and they you being away from medical practice for a year is generally a bad idea. Your medical knowledge and skills will atrophy quickly. And again, most of the GBs don't want you to be their teammate. They want you to be their doc. If you're good at that, and you earn their trust and respect, you won't need a long tab as a physician.

4. Do you stay CONUS, or can you deploy, go to training, etc? Absolutely, you can. In fact, it's a waste of time to just go to an SF battalion and sit in the aid station. Your primary role will be the medical readiness of the battalion, and as an advisor to the commander on medical issues affecting the battalion. You'll also be responsible for the development of your unit PA, your 18Ds and any other med personnel you have (like 68W W1s). But to do that, go out and do things with them. Go to ranges and pull coverage occasionally. Cover jumps if you're not jumping yourself. Set up lanes for your soldiers. I took a few of my 18Ds to do Grand Rounds presentations with me at the hospital. Go to their AO and see the environments they're working in and help do medical threat assessments. You're not going to be kicking in doors, or finding HUMINT sources, but you can definitely deploy, and should if given the opportunity.

I hope this helpful.

Response by WO1 Private RallyPoint Member made May 3 at 2020 3:41 PM

WO1 Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 03 May 2020 15:41:26 -0400

This is a great question and was very well answered by MAJ VanWyck. As a prior service 18D in 20th Group, one of the two National Guard groups, I will add a couple things from that perspective. It is certainly possible to go right into a Guard SF battalion as your first assignment; however, for that to happen there needs to be a vacancy. The Guard has two Groups with three battalions in each, so you’re only talking about six positions. That said the Guard has a much more fluid personnel structure as it is funded by several different pots of money, both state and federal. This means if they want you in the battalion they can often find a way to make it happen while you wait for a position to open up.

As an 18D I worked very closely with my battalion surgeon, who was (and still is) a truly exceptional individual. In a sense the 18Ds work for that surgeon as he/she serves as their clinical supervisor along with the PAs, issues their meds and DME, trains them on the new gear and ensures they maintain their continuing education. In the Guard the Batt Surgeon’s role sounds like it is much more administrative than what MAJ VanWyck described, they don’t do a whole lot of actual medical care because most of the time you’re not deployed and thus guys are getting their primary care from their home PCP. During trainings, they will typically defer to the 18Ds to provide care if possible because the 18Ds need the practice and are pretty well equipped to deal with most problems. On deployment, you’re doing primary care for the battalion staff and whatever personnel are colocated with you, but you’re also responsible for a ton of logistics, like making sure all the 18Ds are well supplied which means supervising the ordering as well as delivery of those supplies. And yes, there are absolutely opportunities to get downrange with the teams, whether through VMOPs/MEDCAPs or command visits or by name requests for support. As with a lot of things in the SF community, opportunities like that will depend a lot on you and your reputation within the battalion and among the teams. If you’ve shown you can handle yourself on the range and prove you will not be a liability if things go south, teams will find ways to get you out. I really enjoyed having the docs come out to the firebase as much as I enjoyed hanging out with them when we were passing through Bagram.