Medical | Soldier Systems Daily Soldier Systems Daily

Archive for the ‘Medical’ Category

B.E. Meyers & Co. Supports the Sterling Promise Foundation as a Silver Sponsor During SOF Week 2026

Tuesday, May 19th, 2026

(Tampa, FL) B.E. Meyers & Co., Inc., via The Brad and Nancy Meyers Family Fund, is proud to be a Gold Sponsor of the Sterling Promise Foundation’s annual fundraising event. The Sterling Promise Foundation Fundraiser will be held at The Westin Tampa Waterside, on May 19th from 4:30 – 7:30 p.m. during SOF Week 2026.

The Sterling Promise Foundation exists to honor the life of Staff Sergeant Scott Sterling, who passed away in April 2021 after a heroic battle with colorectal cancer. Scott served in the 75th Ranger Regimental Reconnaissance Detachment and 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment–Delta (1SFOD-D).

Funds are being used to provide blood screening tests directly to Active-Duty personnel as well as Veterans of the SOF community to ensure early detection.

The May 19th event includes a silent auction, live music, and community. The Guardant Health Team will be on-site to conduct on-site screening, using their Shield™ Colorectal Cancer Screening blood test. Shield is a blood-based colorectal cancer screening test that can detect fragments of colorectal tumor DNA that are released, or shed, into the blood. DNA shedding is a normal process that happens as a tumor grows. By determining if signals from these DNA fragments are present in a blood sample, Shield can screen for colorectal cancer. To learn more or donate to this amazing cause, please visit 2026 Sterling Promise SOF Week Annual Event.

The Brad and Nancy Meyers Family Fund is a philanthropic entity designed to provide sponsorship to causes in support of Veterans, first responders, religious freedom, animal welfare, and nature conservancy in the US and around the world.

Posted in Advertiser, Medical, Nonprofit, Press Release, Veterans | No Comments »

HunterSeven Foundation Offering Cancer Screening During SOF Week

Monday, May 11th, 2026

Limited spaces remain for SOF Week Screening for 25 types of cancers, using one tube of blood. Plus skin checks using the non-invasive Derma Sensor for at-risk veterans… for free!

At Jackson’s Bistro (601 S. Harbour Island Blvd.)

Tuesday, May 19th

18:00 to 21:00

Plus we are giving away a SIG P365 XMacro with red dot and light, and Radian grips as door prize… with options to win HUXWRX silencers, exclusive HNTR7 mags, Team Wendy helmets, and other great stuff!

And of course, free food, rated top choices in Tampa Bay courtesy of Jacksons Bistro and Bar, as well as unlimited, top shelf drink options!

Take control and lead point on your health. Register for this in-person event at www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/sof-week-combat-cancer-and-cocktails

Posted in Medical, SOF Week, Veterans | No Comments »

Please Help The Sterling Promise Foundation Detect Colon Cancer In Our Veterans

Monday, May 4th, 2026

Scott Sterling served his country with honor and distinction in the U.S. Army Special Operations community. His loyalty and commitment to his fellow soldiers continued long after his service. Unfortunately, he was taken from us in the prime of his life due to colon cancer.

The Sterling Promise Foundation is committed to continuing his promise to support our nation’s soldiers and veterans who have sacrificed so much for our country. Scott’s fierce and relentless fight with colorectal cancer is the genesis for our mission to improve the health and wellness for veterans.

The Sterling Promise Foundation (SPF) is expanding its visibility in 2026, and there are some exciting updates to share regarding SOF Week.

If you’re at SOF Week, please join them for their annual fundraiser:

Tuesday, May 19th

1630 – 1900

Westin Tampa Downtown Waterside

Additionally, SPF will be exhibiting in the Community Corridor at Booth #3600. In support of their mission to drive early detection and proactive health awareness, they will host on-site blood screenings in partnership with Guardant Health.

Learn more here.

Posted in Medical, Nonprofit, SOF, SOF Week, Veterans | No Comments »

First Contact: Meet the Dive Medical Recovery Team of Artemis II

Friday, April 10th, 2026

SAN DIEGO — The first face the Artemis II crew will see upon their return to Earth will be the face of a U.S. Navy Sailor.

Lt. Cmdr. Jesse Wang, Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman Laddy Aldridge, Chief Hospital Corpsman Vlad Link, and Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Steve Kapala make up the dive medical team who will be the first to open the Orion capsule upon its return to Earth, make initial medical assessments of the Artemis II crew, and assist them out of the capsule safely and efficiently.

They will provide initial one-on-one assistance to Christina Koch, Jeremy Hansen, Reid Wiseman, and Victor Glover respectively. Training for this mission has been a years-long process between the four team members as the first-contact medical providers inside the capsule.

Often working in expeditionary warfare communities, Navy dive medical personnel are certified divers and undergo specialized training, making them experts in decompression illnesses and other undersea medical considerations. Their mission is to care for and ensure dive-qualified service members are safe to conduct diving operations.

Following Orion’s reentry into Earth’s atmosphere and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, the medical team will enter the capsule to conduct initial exams for the crew, provide triage care as necessary, and assist the astronauts in egress onto the inflatable raft set up outside by Navy divers. The first-contact medical providers will then prepare the crew to be airlifted by Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 23 back to amphibious transport dock USS John P. Murtha (LPD 26) for follow on evaluations.

Wang, assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 1, serves as the lead for the four-man team. From Laguna Beach, Calif., he is a board-certified emergency medicine doctor by trade, having completed residency training at Lincoln Hospital in Bronx, New York. He joined the Navy in 2021 and was designated as an undersea medical officer in 2024.

“As a proud member of the undersea medical community, I am particularly humbled to play a part in this mission,” Wang said. “It is the honor of a lifetime to stand here today, ready to provide the absolute best care to the Artemis II crew.”

Aldridge, from Cushing, Okla., will be the first member to make contact with the crew upon their return to Earth. Assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Expeditionary Support Unit 1, he will open the capsule, enter the space, and begin medical assessments.

“Coming from three generations of military service in my family, I’m honored to serve as the senior dive independent duty corpsman for this mission,” Aldridge said. “This effort is the culmination of both our training to bring world class care to the Artemis II crew and countless dedicated years of Navy Diving and Navy medicine.”

Dive independent duty corpsmen like Aldridge, Link, and Kapala are specifically trained in dive medicine.

Link, assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit (EODMU) 1, is the third member of the team and hails from Chelsea, Mass. He has 18 years of experience in dive medicine, but he shares that this mission is already a highlight of his career.

“I have been exposed to the Navy since I was a young teenager, and I’m proud to represent both my family and hometown,” Link said. “Contributing our efforts to NASA and the Artemis II mission is something we take great pride in as part of that legacy.”

The fourth member, Kapala, assigned to EODMU-11, hails from Alpena, Mich., and has been practicing dive medicine since 2018. He notes the significance of the historical mission as a unified effort, both for himself and everyone involved.

“I grew up reading sci-fi novels and watching space movies, never thinking that I would play a part in a recovery mission like this,” Kapala said. “It is surreal to play a part in safely recovering the astronauts from the capsule to get them home safe to their families, an effort that really makes you realize this team is bigger than just the four of us.”

With immense levels of experience and specialized training under their belts, this team of expeditionary medical providers is prepared to give the Artemis II crew a warm welcome back to Earth following their 10-day lunar mission.

“Our fellow divers, the Sailors on the ship, the helicopter squadron, our partners at NASA, and everyone supporting this mission are ready to bring the Artemis II crew home,” Wang said. “This team is undoubtedly making history.”

U.S. Navy Divers assigned to EODGRU-1 are underway on USS John P. Murtha in the U.S. 3rd Fleet area of operations supporting NASA’s Artemis II mission, retrieving the crew and spacecraft following their return to Earth and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. NASA’s Artemis II mission sent four astronauts on a flight around the moon in the Orion space capsule, marking the first time humans journeyed to deep space in over 50 years.

Story by Lt Erin Wiley

Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group One

Posted in Guest Post, Medical, Navy, Space | 1 Comment »

What Happens At: SSC MindGym

Saturday, April 4th, 2026

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. —

In today’s contested and increasingly complex operational environment, the concept of “lethality” is expanding beyond the physical realm of weaponry and into the cognitive domain. Space Systems Command (SSC) is investing in the mental readiness of its warfighters through MindGym, an innovative, science-backed training capability designed to sharpen focus, accelerate recovery, and strengthen the mental edge essential for lethality and dominance in space operations.

“MindGym was conceived to equip our Guardians and Airmen with neuroscience-backed tools to unlock peak mental performance,” said Mr. Colin Lim, the Licensed Mental Health Provider on the Guardian Resilience Team at Los Angeles Air Force Base.

According to Lim, just a few sessions on MindGym can reduce reaction times under stress by some 29% and boost mood by up to 46%. These results stem from MindGym’s powerful fusion of neuroscience, cutting-edge technology, and immersive art in a fully self-guided pod that lets users train their minds with the same deliberate intensity and rigor as physical conditioning.

At its core, MindGym harnesses neuroplasticity, the brain’s lifelong ability to reorganize neuronal pathways, strengthen connections, and adapt in response to targeted experiences and training. Through controlled sensory isolation, dynamic light patterns, reflection, and therapeutic sound, MindGym creates an optimal environment to regulate the nervous system, cultivate deep focus, reduce cognitive overload, and forge lasting mental muscle memory. This isn’t just optional wellness training: it’s the decisive edge that elevates capable operators into unstoppable forces.

“You can think of it as a flight simulator for the mind,” said Lim. Sessions orient users to the present moment, quiet mental noise, and reinforce a high-performance mindset, turning reactive stress into proactive resilience that transforms potential burnout into sustained mission dominance.

With a repeatable, measurable approach, users gain optimized mental performance, enhanced focus, superior stress recovery, and the ability to thrive under pressure. By proactively training resilience, not just reacting to fatigue, MindGym combats cognitive fatigue across demanding operational tempos, delivering fast stress recovery, sharper clarity—even under pressure—and enduring cognitive readiness.

Sessions are efficient (10-20 minutes), accessible, and seamlessly integrate into the duty day or workout at the gym. Guided audio cues pair with immersive light and sound to reset, recover, recharge, and elevate cognitive sharpness without disrupting missions.

MindGym is deployed across nearly 40 installations worldwide, supporting Air Force, Space Force, Army National Guard, and Joint Force units. Deployments span major commands including Air Force Global Strike Command, Air Education and Training Command, Air Combat Command, Pacific Air Forces, and Guard and Reserve units. Notable installations include Hill Air Force Base (Flightline), Barksdale Air Force Base, Joint Base San Antonio, and Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.

For SSC, MindGym is available to Active-Duty Service Members, civilians, contractors, family dependents, and others with base access to Los Angeles Air Force Base, Patrick Space Force Base, Cape Canaveral Space Force Base, and Vandenberg Space Force Base.

Getting started is intentionally effortless: Eligible participants can create an account directly at the MindGym kiosk in minutes, then access it as often as desired. Schedule at www.lumenalabs.com/booking.

New and returning users are invited to join the Mental Edge Challenge, a structured 30-day program with guided sessions to build habits and track real, measurable impact. lumenalabs.com/30daychallenge.

As SSC spearheads warfighting capabilities at speed and scale, elite mental training is as critical as physical readiness. MindGym delivers a proven, science-driven path to train focus, recovery, and resilience, ensuring Space Force and SSC personnel are mentally primed to operate, decide, and lead when it matters most.

By Linda Rivera, SSC Public Affairs

Posted in Guest Post, Medical, Space | No Comments »

Med-Eng Pleased to Support United States Department of War with Delivery of Sensor Capabilities Contract Previously Announced by Cadre Holdings

Tuesday, March 10th, 2026

Company Providing Mission-Critical Blast Exposure Monitoring System to Preserve and Maintain Readiness for Warfighters

OGDENSBURG, NY — As originally announced by Cadre Holdings, Inc. (“Cadre”), on November 19, 2025, Med-Eng, LLC, a world leader in personal protective technologies against blast and a subsidiary of Cadre, was awarded a 5-year Indefinite Delivery / Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract with a maximum value of $50 million by the United States Department of War (DoW) to deliver and support the Blast Exposure Monitoring (BEMO) Program. The BEMO systems, including sensor hardware and related software, measure and record blast overpressure exposures experienced in training operations as part of a DoW Brain Health program.

First delivery under the contract is underway and follows a competitive 5-year funded development program to improve methods for identifying blast overpressure exposures impacting the warfighter while using heavy weapon systems and conducting explosive breaching in dynamic combat and training environments. Once deployed, real-time updates will be available for team leaders, commanders, and medical personnel, enabling rapid triage decisions and dynamic adjustments to tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs).

Med-Eng General Manager Rob Reynolds commented, “I am extremely proud of the Med-Eng team for the tireless efforts they have shown throughout this multi-year program and since contract award in late 2025. At each phase of the open competition, the team showed its ability to listen, evolve and deliver. This is the latest demonstration of how Med-Eng can leverage its deep understanding of blast threats to develop new, technology-based solutions that will help the short and long term health of the warfighter. This capability will form a key part of monitoring the effects of blast overpressure exposures during training and will significantly increase the empirical data knowledge base of the military medical community. We look forward to supporting the customer through the delivery phases and to developing our sensor capabilities to meet evolving threats.”

Med-Eng has been a pioneer in the development and fielding of body-worn blast sensors since 2006. This latest generation is a significant step forward in the convergence of hardware, mobile device apps, and intuitive dashboards to bridge the gap between blast overpressure events and longitudinal brain health monitoring. This will help team leaders, medical staff, and senior leadership to utilize powerful decision-making tools based on tracking both single event and cumulative blast overpressure exposure.

Posted in Contracts, Medical, Press Release, SOF | Comments Off on Med-Eng Pleased to Support United States Department of War with Delivery of Sensor Capabilities Contract Previously Announced by Cadre Holdings

CTOMS Launches Customizable OTC System – Build Your Tactical Medication Kit

Thursday, March 5th, 2026

CTOMS has launched its new OTC (Over-The-Counter) Drug Management System, a modular medication storage solution designed for tactical medics, first responders, and operational healthcare professionals.

The system features the rugged DrugBox™ (hard waterproof case) and the new OTC Cases (soft-sided with loop lined interior), both built for protection, quick access, and field utility.

Customization is the core of the system, configure your kit precisely with:

Custom Internal Foam – precision-cut inserts for secure vial and capsule storage

Drug Capsules – durable protective capsules in multiple sizes

MARS Panel 2.0 – modular panels for mounting and organizing additional items

Build Your System Online

Use the intuitive Drug Case Builder Tool to select case size, add foam inserts, MARS Panels, and capsules. Configure, review, and add to cart in minutes.

Start building here: ctomsinc.com/products/drug-case-builder

Full specs are in the OTC Drug Case System Spec Sheet on the site.

Visit ctomsinc.com to explore or head to the builder and customize your kit today.

Posted in Advertiser, Guest Post, Medical | Comments Off on CTOMS Launches Customizable OTC System – Build Your Tactical Medication Kit

FY 2026 Defense Appropriations Act Provides $7.5M Program Increase for Aware’s Next Generation Hearing Protection and Biometrics

Thursday, February 19th, 2026

Partnering with the U.S. Army to Improve Warfighter Protection

Washington, DC | February 17, 2026 — The Fiscal Year 2026 Defense Appropriations Act was signed into law on February 3, 2026, enacting a $7.5 M program increase within Army research and development for Aware Custom Biometric Wearables to advance military hearing protection, communications solutions, and biometric sensing for U.S. warfighters. Aware Defense is the program execution lead, responsible for end-to-end delivery in support of Program Executive Office (PEO) Soldier and the U.S. Army, including unit-level fielding, integration support, and performance feedback across participating training and operational units.

Aware appreciates the leadership of Senator Jon Ossoff, Senator Raphael Warnock, and the Georgia congressional delegation, whose support was instrumental in securing the program increase. The funding enables the Army’s service-level fielding of Aware’s custom in-ear solutions, utilizing its patented 3D digital scans of the deep ear canal to protect soldiers across a wide range of high-noise environments.

“This investment supports a Georgia-based small business delivering leading-edge innovation for our national defense and expanding economic opportunity for rural communities,” said Senator Jon Ossoff. “I was proud to support this funding because it advances urgently needed hearing protection and invests in biometric innovation that can improve readiness across the force, while creating high quality manufacturing and technology jobs in rural Georgia.”

Aware Defense is looking forward to working with Program Executive Office (PEO) Soldier and the U.S. Army to evaluate and accelerate unit-level deployment of a scalable capability including digital scanners, custom in-ear protection, biometric sensing, and its integration with existing communications equipment, helmets, and other over the ear devices, across multiple U.S. Army training and operational units.

“We are proud to see this initiative signed into law and grateful to the leaders who recognized the urgency of preventing hearing loss and the necessity of advancing biometric capabilities for the force,” said Sam Kellett, Jr., Chief Executive Officer of Aware.

“This program increase accelerates the Army’s ability to deploy custom-fit hearing protection built from each soldier’s unique ear anatomy using Aware’s patented 3D ear scanning technology, delivering superior protection and exceptional comfort at scale. We are transforming the human ear into a platform for health and human performance through our hearable,enabling continuous monitoring of brain and physiological signals vital to advancing readiness.”

The modern battlefield bombards soldiers with explosions, gunfire, vehicle, and aircraft noise — all at volumes and frequencies that damage hearing. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “hearing problems are by far the most prevalent service-connected disability among Veterans,” with an estimated annual cost of more than $4 billion. This dual-use technology will deliver tens of thousands ofcustom-fit hearing protection sets to U.S. warfighters while also addressing the same issues faced by civilian workers in high-noise industries — achieving both military and economic benefits.

“Aware Defense is ready to execute,” said Stu Booker, Chief Operating Officer of Aware Defense. “Working side-by-side with the U.S. Army, we will accelerate fielding of our precision-fit hearing protection at scale by running seamless 3D ear scanning operations, which are instrumental in advancing biometric capabilities by serving as the nexus between operational user requirements and research priorities, accelerating iteration and transition to field ready solutions.”

“This initiative reflects the strong support of our federal, state, and local partners aligning around a mission that is simple and urgent: protect the warfighter,” said Bert Steele, Lt Col, USMCR (Ret.), Chief Strategy Officer of Aware.

“Aware is committed to investing in rural economic development and this funding supports high-value technical jobs, workforce training, and long-term growth aligned with Georgia’s rural economic development priorities, while expanding future biometric capabilities that will provide an operational advantage for our military.”

Aware Defense has Department of War ground and aviation unit-level customers — Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Special Operations Command — using Aware’s products in training and real-world operations. Aware’s products have been formally evaluated by the Office of Naval Research, supported through DoD Small Business Innovation Research funding, and recognized with multiple innovation awards, including the CES Innovation Award in 2016, Top Twelve Health Techpreneurs in the Healthcare Innovation World Cup in Germany in 2024, and Top Eight Wearable Technologies Startups in the U.S. for 2025.

Aware is headquartered in Atlanta, with a Hearable Lab in San Diego, CA, and additional facilities in Quitman, GA, and Madison, FL, employing personnel in high-paying advanced manufacturing and technical roles. This funding will create quality jobs aligned with Georgia’s workforce goals while supporting new facilities and economic growth in Brooks County. Plans are underway to build a manufacturing facility in a Tier 1 Rural County for economic development — that will deliver more high-paying jobs, workforce training, and high-tech innovation, positioning South Georgia as a leader in advanced manufacturing and technology.

These funds build on prior investments from the Department of Defense and the hearing industry that enabled Aware to develop real-world solutions, which it is now delivering to protect warfighters and prevent hearing loss.

Aware Custom Biometric Wearables is the parent company of Aware Defense and a leader in custom in-ear devices for hearing protection, communications, and biometric monitoring, all powered by patented 3D ear scanning technology. Aware Defense is led by retired DoD military personnel with deep operational experience, keeping development and fielding anchored to end user requirements. Proudly made in America.

www.awarecbw.com

Posted in Medical, Press Release | Comments Off on FY 2026 Defense Appropriations Act Provides $7.5M Program Increase for Aware’s Next Generation Hearing Protection and Biometrics