Tampa, Fla. – The U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) hosted 2024 USCENTCOM Nurses and Medical Technicians Conference in Tampa, Florida, July 15-18, 2024. Thanks to CENTCOM's Women, Peace, and Security Program, this groundbreaking event marked the first time a conference was exclusively dedicated to nurses and medical technicians, providing a unique opportunity for Majors and below and Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs) in military healthcare to share and learn techniques and procedures from each other. The USCENTCOM Command Surgeon office, Global Health Engagement Team led the conference, which focused on Nursing Leadership, Innovation, and Professional Development. Fifteen nations participated in the event, including Australia, Egypt, France, Germany, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and the United Kingdom.
The idea for this conference emerged following the successful Medical Security Cooperation Exchange (MSCE) held in Tampa, April 30 - May 4, 2023. Participants from various nations suggested that such conferences and training sessions would benefit NCOs and junior officers equally. "Dedicating such a conference/training for our NCOs, is extremely valuable," said CENTCOM's Command Surgeon, Col. Larry McCord.
The Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Program funded and supported this event. The conference was designed as a medical event that aligned with the WPS Program's strategy and principles. Attendees benefited from multiple days of lectures and discussions, followed by practical, hands-on training with the Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron and Aviation Company at MacDill Air Force Base. This event provided an opportunity to engage multiple partners and allies simultaneously.
Conference Objectives: The primary goal of the conference was to foster communication and development within the community of nurses and medical technicians, enabling their enhanced ability to support military populations and operations. It served as a foundational milestone for future medical collaboration and sustainment.
The 2024 Nurses and Medical Technicians Conference is an effort within CENTCOM’s focus on people, partners, and innovation.
The Supporting Themes during the conference included essential topics like Leadership Development, Professional Education, Nursing Research, Flight Nursing, and Health Care Quality.
Methodology: The conference featured keynote and subject matter expert presentations that set the stage for small group discussions, encouraging active participation. These discussions fostered contextual understanding, communication, and collaboration, addressing and developing solutions for specific problem sets or tasks. A tabletop exercise prompted consideration of requirements, structures, and processes, identifying opportunities for improvement. The event concluded with product development to guide and enable future actions and propose solutions to identified problems.
Other Regional Events:
Medical Security Cooperation Exchange (last held in 2023; next planned for 2025)
Multi-national Medical Response Training (last held on February 2024; next in 2026)
These events were complemented by various bilateral activities conducted by service components in the USCENTCOM area of responsibility, which covers 21 nations in the Middle East and Central and South Asia.