U.S. Army Master Sgt. Sam Patrick has been a medic for his entire 19-year military career. He started out as a platoon medic with an infantry brigade, and his first deployment was a 17-month stint in Iraq and Kuwait, where he provided point-of-injury and sick-call care to a platoon of cavalry scouts and also treated many local nationals. In 2008, he was selected for the 160^th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR), where he served as a Special Operations Combat Medic, Special Operations Flight Medic, Special Operations Flight Medic Instructor, and Battalion Senior Enlisted Medical Advisor.

In the 160^th SOAR, Sam was responsible for providing en route care for Special Operations Forces units in Iraq and Afghanistan, and he specialized in point-of-injury trauma care, en route care of acutely injured combat casualties, and post-operative transport from far-forward surgical care. He also executed medical and casualty evacuation missions regularly. Sam recently transitioned from the SOAR and now serves as the Senior Enlisted Medical Advisor for the Special Operations Detachment Pacific -(Airborne) and the 56^th Theater Information Operations Group Washington Army National Guard. Additionally, Sam serves as the training coordinator and tactical medicine instructor for the Western Regional Counterdrug Training Center, an organization that delivers counternarcotic training to federal, state, local, and tribal enforcement agencies. Throughout his transition to these roles, he has continued to maintain his certifications as a National Rated Paramedic, Flight Paramedic, Tactical Paramedic, and Special Operations Advanced Tactical Practitioner.

In fiscal years 2019 (FY19) and FY20, Sam served as a peer reviewer for the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) Combat Readiness-Medical Research Program (CRRP). As a peer reviewer, he provided insight as a combat medic to evaluate research proposals with the potential to greatly minimize the suffering and damage associated with combat trauma. Sam notes that proposals focusing on process improvement of the medic, and military medical system, specifically, have a potential for a far-reaching positive effect. He also sees the research funded by CRRP as beneficial to the civilian population, as lessons learned in the military population often improve outcomes for others as well.

"The CDMRP does a very good job focusing on the fact that military medicine is a continuum of care and doesn't focus on one specific aspect of care,” Sam said. "Everything the CDMRP funds goes to improving outcomes and long-term quality of life [associated with the funding opportunities]. The CDMRP is a critical non-dilutive funding stream to innovative medical research that ensures the national health enterprise has the most relevant and up-to-date evidence-based medical practices.”

Sam hopes future research funded by the CRRP will continue to improve the livelihood of Service Members and civilians alike, helping to ensure the highest level of care for critically injured patients.

The views, opinions, and/or findings contained in this paper are those of the author(s) and should not be construed as an official Department of the Army position, policy or decision.