DVIDS – News – NATO Military Medical Leaders Discuss Global Partnerships, Readiness, Digital Transformation

Global military medical leaders gathered in the National Capital Region for the annual Committee of Chiefs of Military Medical Services in NATO plenary session, June 4–6, 2025 reaffirming their commitment to medical readiness and driving innovation in military medicine.

Brig. Gen. Petter Iversen, Surgeon General of the Norwegian Armed Forces Joint Medical Services and current Chair of NATO COMEDS, opened the meeting, emphasizing that change is constant and NATO must evolve with this change.

“Things are changing day to day–it is a changing world–and we have to adapt,” said Iverson.

Dr. Stephen Ferrara, acting assistant secretary of defense for Health Affairs, joined U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. John Andrus, the Pentagon’s Joint Staff Surgeon and advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff, in the robust discussion. Thirty-four allied and partner nations attended the event.

In his keynote address, Ferrara highlighted key U.S. priorities in strengthening military health care and continuing support for NATO medical objectives.

“I want to talk about four pillars of effort that are not only my focus, but align with the NATO COMEDS manifesto and action plan,” Ferrara said. “Supporting the warfighter, the vital need to sustain medical skill in times of peace, strengthen medical readiness and the healthcare chain, and prepare for future battlefields.”

“As always, the U.S. remains committed to supporting the health and optimal performance of every service member across all domains—land, sea, air, space, and cyber. The warfighter is at the center of everything we do.”

Ferrara emphasized that medical readiness remains paramount to operational success and national security. “Our alliance is more than a mere collection of nations; it is a living testament to our shared values and mutual defense,” he said. “As military medical leaders, we sit at the critical intersection where readiness meets resilience, and where global stability depends, in no small part, on the strength of our military system.”

Strategic Action Across 5 Key Areas

Throughout the week, COMEDS highlighted five strategic focus areas to intended to strengthen both military operations and overall health system resilience across the alliance. These initiatives, outlined in an action plan to enhance medical support for collective defense, were developed in coordination with the NATO Joint Health Group and the European Union and include:

1. Regulatory Frameworks and Legislation: Allies are working toward regulatory alignment to allow faster movement of medical personnel, supplies, and patients across borders to support interoperability and coordinated medical responses.

2. Healthcare Workforce Shortages: Nations face limited pools of healthcare workers, a challenge that impacts both military and civilian systems. Solutions include shared recruitment strategies and more efficient workforce models.

3. Mass Casualty Planning: NATO must be ready to respond to mass casualty events that overwhelm emergency systems, as seen during the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. Joint planning and robust infrastructure are key.

4. Patient Evacuation: Bulk patient movement requires scalable and flexible evacuation capabilities, particularly in contested environments. NATO is enhancing systems that move patients from the battlefield to definitive care and rehabilitation.

5. Medical Logistics: The pandemic exposed the fragility of “just-in-time” supply chains. NATO leaders stressed the need to diversify suppliers, improve inventory resilience, and ensure critical materials are available when and where they are needed.

This action plan was designed to strengthen NATO’s medical readiness as part of credible deterrence and defense posture by integrating allies’ civilian and military medical capabilities, according to U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. John Andrus, U.S. Joint Staff Surgeon.

Skills Sustainment and Joint Training

As combat deployments decrease, Ferrara noted the U.S. is focusing on sustaining medical competencies through civilian partnerships, simulation-based training, and NATO collaboration.

He addressed the challenge of maintaining medical readiness during times of peace. “The interwar period is a pernicious time for those in our profession,” he said. “We must be steadfast in sustaining our clinical and operational skills.”

“We have expanded our military-civilian trauma team training program to embed military providers in high-volume trauma centers,” he said. “We are also using high-fidelity simulations and virtual reality to train for mass casualty events, and chemical or biological exposures.”

“These tools allow us to train the way we fight, realistically and repeatedly—yet safely,” Ferrara added.

Ferrara noted the importance of joint certification and standardized training protocols, which were developed in coordination with NATO’s Centre of Excellence for Military Medicine. These efforts build a shared foundation for future interoperability and medical support.

Commitment to Collective Defense

Ferrara emphasized the U.S. commitment to NATO’s collective defense, including support for forward-positioned capabilities in Europe, streamlined medical logistics and pharmaceutical stockpiles, and contributions to NATO’s Pandemic Response Trust Fund.

“The U.S. stands shoulder-to-shoulder with our NATO allies,” said Ferrara. “We are unwavering in our commitment to collective defense and shared readiness.”

Ferrara talked about his deployment in Afghanistan, where “our international coalition worked as a well-oiled machine with a common purpose—what I believe is the highest calling in all of medicine—to care for those who are clothed in the colors and bear the battles of their nation.”

NATO-Wide Digital Transformation: A Strategic Imperative

Digital modernization was a recurring focus throughout the week. Major General Dominique Luzeaux, French Ministry of Defense, digital transformation champion and special advisor to Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, outlined the alliance’s strategic goal of achieving multi-domain operations capability by 2030.

“We need to ensure interconnectivity, interoperability, enhanced situation awareness, and rapid, data-informed decision-making,” Luzeaux said. “This applies to every type of military operation.”

He added that digital solutions such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and cloud-based platforms are essential for real-time situational awareness. “Technology is here, but if we don’t change our mindset, our culture, we won’t be able to take advantage of what the technology can bring us,” he said. “No risk, no reward.”

French Defence Central Health Service Col. Christophe Albert, NATO Allied Command Transformation, emphasized workforce constraints make digital support systems critical. “Technology can reduce administrative burden, provide robotic surgery, and help make the everyday life of healthcare workers easier,” he said.

“Technology will help, but training and cultural adaptation are just as important,” Albert added. “This is a necessity if we want the alliance to remain efficient and maintain a strategic advantage.”

Iversen said, “Digital tools allow us to be more precise, to enhance health care, get the right patients to the right places, and to make right choices at the right times.”

Aligning Strategy and Capability with NATO Goals

Leaders pointed out that the changing global landscape demands agility and cooperation between military and civilian institutions. They also highlighted the convergence of operational demands, digital infrastructure, and personnel readiness.

“Skill sustainment is crucial,” said Stevens Tracey, command medical advisor, Headquarters Supreme Allied Commander Transformation. “Readiness today also includes a mindset ready for rapid evolution, particularly in the digital space.”

Shared Mission Across Alliance

Reinforcing the strength of their shared commitment to health and defense, Ferrara concluded: “Military medicine is a force multiplier. It binds nations, it saves service members, and it prepares us not just for the wars of today, but for the battles of tomorrow.”

“Together, through COMEDS, we are stronger. Together, through COMEDS, we will ensure that our warfighters are protected. And together, through COMEDS, we will keep our skills sharp and our forces ready, regardless of what the future holds.”