How secure someone feels is not solely related to the absence of violence or the threat of its use. Health, well-being and environment have key roles to play in addressing wider human security concerns.

This was the theme for NATO’s Operational Medical Conference (NOMC) hosted by Allied Command Transformation (ACT) at the newly-opened National Intrepid Centre of Excellence (NICoE) in Bethesda USA on 3-6 October. The Conference was jointly-chaired by the Medical Advisors of the International Military Staff, Allied Command Operations and ACT, with attendance drawn from across NATO’s member and partner nations as well as international governmental and non-governmental organizations.

NOMC aims to bring together those engaged in formulating medical support policy and directing current operations to provide an opportunity to reflect on collective experience and how this should shape future practice.

The theme for this Conference was Medical & the Human Approach to Operations, which has been chosen to capture the latest thinking on healthcare in relation both to NATO’s personnel and the achievement of its operational mission. Human aspects of security underlie the whole spectrum of operations, from conflict prevention to post-conflict reconstruction and development. NATO’s medical capability offers unique opportunities for how the Alliance can influence human security and especially the very different challenges presented by peace enforcement compared to reconstruction or to conflict prevention.

Each day of the Conference examined a different aspect of this subject area. A record was kept of the discussions and will be presented to the Committee of the Chiefs of the Military Medical Services in NATO (COMEDS) for consideration. This provides the opportunity for NOMC to influence NATO concepts, policy and doctrine.

Further information can be obtained from the Conference Coordinator, Surgeon Commander Donald Verschoor, Donald.Verschoor@act.nato.int.

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