Over 100 Special Operations Forces (SOF) personnel, 30 organizations, and two partner nations gathered at Ft. Wainwright, Alaska, for Special Operations Forces Arctic Medic (SOFAM) 2025. Hosted by Special Operations Command North, the exercise challenged Navy SEALs, combat medics, and surgical teams to provide life-saving care in the unforgiving Arctic environment.
Read more in this article published by the Navy about the extreme training mission.
With sub-zero temperatures and relentless cold, medical teams practiced treating casualties in the field, evacuating patients via Black Hawk helicopters, and conducting surgery in makeshift facilities. Leaders emphasized that extreme cold is just as deadly as enemy fire, forcing personnel to adapt their medical techniques to prioritize warmth and survival.
Army Lt. Col. Maxwell Sirkin, trauma surgeon, trauma medical director at Womack Army Medical Center at Ft. Bragg, and SOFAM surgical expert explained,
“I learned that our personnel need to be prepared for the mindset of fighting and practicing medicine in the cold. First, they need to acclimate to living in the cold, surviving in the cold and being comfortable in the cold. Second, they need to be able to alter their clinical practice guidelines slightly to do less interventions at times and instead focus on heat production and generation.”
Over the past two decades, the majority of our troops have been trained to fight and provide life-saving tactical care in moderate and desert climates, so SOFAM 2025 provided invaluable lessons in Arctic warfighting and medical readiness. As the global landscape shifts, preparing for conflict in extreme environments ensures that SOF remains ready to operate—and save lives—no matter the conditions.
Photo: U.S. East Coast-based Naval Special Warfare, U.S. Army, Canadian, U.K., and interagency Special Operations Forces (SOF) prepare to hoist a simulated casualty to a UH-60 Black Hawk, assigned to 52nd Aviation Regiment, during medical training at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, Feb. 20, 2025. Special Operations Forces Arctic Medic 2025 enhanced SOF readiness through real-world scenarios in an austere climate and ensures a lethal fighting force to win wars. Naval Special Warfare Group TWO produces, supports, and deploys the world’s premier maritime special operations forces to conduct full-spectrum operations and integrated deterrence in support of U.S. national objectives. (U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Trey Hutcheson)
