Research for Readiness: Military Health System kicks off annual symposium

Navy Vice Adm. Raquel C. Bono greets retired Army Sgt. Oliver Campbell after his moving presentation at 2019 MHSRS about how he survived near-fatal gunshot wounds during a 2016 Afghanistan mission. (MHS photo)

Navy Vice Adm. Raquel C. Bono, director of the Defense Health Agency, took the MHSRS stage one final time as DHA director. Bono looked back at the significant accomplishments across the MHS during her tenure. She highlighted that health services research funding announced at last year’s symposium is now available from DHA, describing how such research presents opportunities to broaden our perspective to impact national health care efforts.  “Research is a unifying effort for effective collaboration,” she said. 

Bono also looked ahead to the future, noting how the impacts of climate change will require innovation to keep service members safe in extreme environments. Citing a 66% increase of active duty personnel with malaria, she said that infectious diseases and bug-borne illnesses are still impacting service member readiness, making research done by the Department of Defense Deployed Warfighter Protection Research Program all the more critical and timely.

After Bono’s presentation, McCaffrey returned to the stage to thank Bono for her years of service upon her retirement next month, crediting her as a leader who does not rest on her laurels and one who embraces change. The attendees gave her a standing ovation. Bono encouraged the attendees to continue their excellent work for the MHS. “You are on a crest. Keep riding that wave because you’ve got what it takes.”

Dr. Terry Rauch, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Readiness Policy and Oversight, congratulated the science community for their strong track record in the last two decades with the highest survivability rates in the history of warfare and the greatest post-injury quality of life. He urged the scientists gathered to be ready to work even harder to address the many challenges ahead.

One of the challenges he spoke of was the need for research solutions to help service members maximize their human potential across multi-domain operations - across space, cyber, air, sea and land.  “Of paramount importance is research to optimize human performance to peak cognitive, physical, and emotional potential,” said Rauch.

He urged attendees to use their week at MHSRS as an extension of their laboratory, to “kick back and talk science,” to connect with each other and grapple collaboratively with the complex casualty care challenges that lie ahead.

Retired Army Sgt. Oliver Campbell concluded the morning’s plenary session with his riveting story. Campbell was shot by enemy snipers in Afghanistan in January 2016 during his fifth special operations deployment as an Army Ranger. His internal bleeding was so severe that an Army trauma surgeon performed an in-air thoracotomy, opening up Campbell’s entire left chest, suturing the damaged blood vessel and massaging his heart in route to Bagram Air Field. “After seven minutes of death, my heart began to beat on its own,” described Campbell of how the surgeon saved his life.

Campbell retired from active duty in 2016, and is now studying biology at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. His ultimate goal is to serve as a military trauma surgeon. His military honors include a Purple Heart, two Army Commendation Medals and a Joint Service Achievement Medal.