Medical, Biomedical & Biodefense: Support to the Warfighter Symposium

Enabling the Warfighter: Operational Requirements for Tactical Medicine.  The Fort Bragg Research Institute (FBRI), a program of The Geneva Foundation, is honored to lead a panel of military leaders who will present the needs, gaps and opportunities for industry and innovators to support the medical requirements of America’s premier warfighting commands.  Panel members will also inform industry- and academia-based developers about potential pathways to transition applicable technologies to meet these critical warfighter needs.

• Moderator: Lieutenant Colonel (Ret) Stephen DeLellis, Senior Technical Advisor and Director, Fort Liberty Research Institute - A program of The Geneva Foundation
• Captain Arriel Atienza, Command Surgeon for the Second Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF)
• Colonel George Barbee, Senior Physician Assistant, US Army Forces Command
• Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Haller, Chief, Medical Education & Training/Senior Physician Assistant, US Army Special Operations Command
• Lieutenant Colonel Frank Cicchini, Commander, 261st Multifunctional Medical Battalion, 44th Medical Brigade
• Lieutenant Commander William Grello, USN Expeditionary Resuscitative Surgical Support, Navy Expeditionary Resuscitative Surgical System (ERSS)

Remarks followed by Colonel Caryn R. Vernon, Commander, 44th Medical Brigade and introduction of the 240th Forward Resuscitative Surgical Detachment (FRSD) static display located in the atrium area of the MBB Symposium.  The static display is brought to you by the 240th Forward Resuscitative Surgical Detachment (FRSD) located within the 16th Hospital center, 44th Medical Brigade, here at Fort Bragg, NC. The unit is known for its unique medical capability of allowing trauma surgery to exist within a medical footprint on the battlefield. The unit is designed to attach to an existing aid station or field hospital and increase the access to life saving surgical and critical care for the warfighter. Current and past conflicts around the globe have also demonstrated the need for surgical teams to be mobile, flexible, and scalable.  The unit is the first FRSD to train a truly mobile and scalable concept that can provide truly mobile surgery, and work in austere settings. One of the main facilitators of our nation’s ability to project power across the globe is the ability to provide surgical and critical care in any place at any time where warfighters are in danger. The unit is learning from lessons from Ukraine and the GWAT era and adapting them for the future.  They are training to setup in buildings of opportunity or underground facilities, reducing electronic and visible signatures, and maintaining a truly scalable capability. They train to flex from full FRSD to split echelons and even smaller 5-6man teams working out of rucksacks. They are the 240th FRSD and are flexible, mobile, and capable. The 240th FRSD is commanded by LTC Maxwell Sirkin and Detachment Sergeant SFC Lucas Tucker.

Business Opportunities with DoD and VA: Medical Supplies, Equipment and Devices. Representatives from Department of Defense (DoD) agencies, military treatment facilities (MTFs), major military commands and the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) will describe the requirements, acquisition and distribution processes to provide medical materiel to DVA medical centers and clinics, MTFs and medical commands, units and warfighters worldwide.  When applicable, the discussion will include agency/command requirements and processes to acquire these materials through current DVA and DoD regional prime vendors and other prime contractors, which the speakers will identify.  Potential suppliers and subcontractors and prospective primes, including small businesses, should attend this session.

• Commander Kibwe Hampden, Deputy Chief of Staff and N4 Support and Logistics, Naval Medical Forces Atlantic
• Major Tanishia Greene, Deputy Director, Integrated Logistics Support Center, Army Medical Logistics Command
• Dan Keefe, Deputy Director, Defense Logistics Agency, Medical
• Abin Mathai, Director, Supplier Operations, Defense Logistics Agency, Medical
• (TBA), Department of Veterans Affairs, VISN 6

Utilizing Wearables for Data-Driven Decisions.  The session will describe the Optimizing the Human Weapons System (OHWS)/other wearables and a human performance data management system (HPDMS) along with how the OHWS and other wearable data are being used by providers and leaders at Fort Bragg for data-driven decisions to improve the health and performance of Soldiers.

• Moderator: Colonel (Ret) Dennis McGurk, Ph.D., Director, NC Center for Optimizing Military Performance (NC-COMP), RTI International
• Malena Rone, Ph.D., Physiological Health Portfolio Manager, U.S. Army Medical Research & Development Command (MRDC) Military Operational Medicine Research Program
• MAJ Jeremy Williams, Deputy Commander, 20th Engineer Brigade, U.S. Army Forces Command
• Brendon Huttmann, CPSS, Program Director, Holistic Health and Fitness, 20th Engineer Brigade, U.S. Army Forces Command
• MAJ Bridget Fyle, Occupational Therapist, Holistic Health and Fitness, 18th Field Artillery Brigade, XVII Airborne Corps
• Jason Pompili, MS, CSCS, Strategic and Operational Rockets and Missiles (STORM) Director, 18th Field Artillery Brigade, XVII Airborne Corps
• Mark Ray, COL (Ret), Project Director, Elite Forces Pilot Team, 3rd Operational Support Group.

Department of Veterans Affairs One-On-One Meetings. The Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA), in collaboration with the NCMBC, will host one-on-one meetings with industry. This forum provides a unique opportunity for dialogue with key decision makers from multiple DVA offices.  Participants should bring capabilities statements and prepare a concise “elevator pitch” to communicate a compelling business case for the VA to procure their goods and/or services.

• (TBA), Department of Veterans Affairs, VISN 6
• Marri "Nicki" Fryar, Executive Director, Fayetteville VA Medical Center
• (TBA), Durham VA Medical Center
• (TBA), Salisbury VA Medical Center
• (TBA), Asheville VA Medical Center

Business Opportunities with DoD and VA: Medical Services and Staffing. Representatives from DoD agencies, major military commands, military treatment facilities (MTFs) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) will describe the requirements and acquisition processes to support their medical centers and clinics worldwide with staffing and other contracted services.  When applicable, the discussion will include agency/command requirements and processes to acquire these services through current prime contractors, which the speakers will identify.  Potential subcontractors and prospective primes, including small businesses, should attend this session.

• Colonel Stephanie Mont, Commander, Womack Army Medical Center (Fort Bragg, NC)
• Commander Kibwe Hampden, Deputy Chief of Staff and N4 Support and Logistics, Naval Medical Forces Atlantic
• (TBA), Department of Veterans Affairs, VISN 6
• Sean Siler, Chief Executive Officer, VIGILINT

Saving Lives in the Drone Battlefield. Drones and unmanned systems have transformed battlefield medicine. During lunch remarks, a Ukrainian combat medic commander will describe how drones and UGVs are saving lives by delivering medical supplies, conducting rapid casualty evacuation, and enabling telemedicine under fire. Lessons from Ukraine’s experience will inform U.S. biodefense and medical innovation — from trauma care to supply chain resilience. Attendees will hear firsthand how technology, adaptability, and human ingenuity converge to protect and sustain life on the modern battlefield, with clear applications for military and civilian medical response in contested environments.

Forging the Future of Military Medicine: From Battlefield Concepts to Dual-Use Deployment. This session brings together defense leaders shaping the future of military medicine, from conceptual design through real-world deployment. Panelists will explore critical gaps and capabilities across battlefield medicine, medical R&D, and dual-use technologies. Discussions will highlight efforts to modernize medical force structures for 2040, deliver care in contested environments, and integrate innovations from DARPA’s biotech frontier to MTF-level operations. Panelists will share insight into the full lifecycle, from early-stage experimentation and prototyping to dual-use transition and commercialization with DoD and VA partners. Attendees will gain actionable knowledge on how to partner across research, acquisition, and operations to meet the needs of tomorrow’s warfighter.

• Colonel Tyler E. Harris, MD, FAAOS, Orthopaedic Hand Surgeon; Chief, Department of Clinical Investigation, Womack Army Medical Center
• Lieutenant Commander Robert Murray, PhD, Medical Service Corps, US Navy, Biological Technologies Office, DARPA
• Rob Braun, Chief Technology Officer, XVIII Airborne Corps (Fort Bragg, NC)

Business Opportunities with DoD and VA: Pharmaceutical and Pharma Supply Chain. Representatives from DoD agencies, military treatment facilities (MTFs), major military commands and the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) will describe the requirements, acquisition and distribution processes for pharmaceuticals in support of medical centers, clinics, MTFs and medical commands, units and warfighters worldwide.  When applicable, the discussion will include agency/command requirements and processes to acquire pharmaceuticals through current DVA and DoD prime contractors, which the speakers will identify.  Prospective primes, subcontractors and suppliers to the pharmaceutical industry, including small businesses, should attend this session.

• Dan Keefe, Deputy Director, Defense Logistics Agency, Medical
• Abin Mathai, Director, Supplier Operations, Defense Logistics Agency, Medical
• Daniel Shoaf, CEO & Owner, The DaVinci Company

Medical Research and Development: Opportunities to Connect with Warfighters and Veterans. Representatives from military treatment facilities (MTFs), major military commands, the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) and the Fort Bragg Research Institute (FBRI) will outline processes for industry- and academia-based researchers and medical product developers to connect with military units, warfighters and veterans in North Carolina.  Speakers will also address opportunities for joint research with military investigators at MTFs and warrior-focused research funded through the Geneva Foundation/FBRI.  Industry and academia-based researchers and medical product developers and subcontractors should attend this session.

• Moderator: Commander (Retired) Chris Steele, Chief of Strategy and Business Development, Medical Technology Enterprise Consortium (MTEC)
• Colonel Tyler E. Harris, MD, FAAOS, Orthopaedic Hand Surgeon; Chief, Department of Clinical Investigation, Womack Army Medical Center
• Lieutenant Colonel (Ret) Stephen DeLellis, Senior Technical Advisor and Director, Fort Liberty Research Institute - A program of The Geneva Foundation
• Rob Braun, Chief Technology Officer, XVIII Airborne Corps (Fort Bragg, NC)
• Commander Kibwe Hampden, Deputy Chief of Staff and N4 Support and Logistics, Naval Medical Forces Atlantic
• (TBA), Department of Veterans Affairs