Special Forces, advanced training for Military Rescuers at Cardarelli in Naples. Agreement with C.O.F.S. renewed.

NAPLES – The collaboration agreement between the Nationally Relevant Hospital “Antonio Cardarelli” in Naples and the Joint Command for Special Forces Operations, an organization under the direct authority of the Chief of Defense Staff, has been renewed.

The agreement concerns the advanced training and maintenance of the qualification of Military Rescuer for Special Forces, indicated by the acronym So.Mi.F.S.

The project aims to consolidate the capabilities of personnel called to provide medical assistance in particularly complex operational scenarios, where immediate intervention can be crucial for the survival of an injured soldier.

Advanced rescue in special operations

The role of the Military Rescuer for Special Forces is governed by the interministerial Defense-Health decree of October 20, 2022.

Qualified personnel are trained to perform life-support maneuvers and ensure medical support in the pre-hospital phase of trauma, even in operational conditions where it is not possible to immediately have medical or nursing staff available.

This is a particularly important capability for Special Forces, often deployed in small units, far from medical facilities, and in environments characterized by high risk, isolation, and evacuation difficulties.

The goal is to keep the injured person alive and stabilize them during the period between the trauma, the initial treatment on the ground, and the evacuation to an appropriate medical facility.

Cardarelli as the only selected center in Italy

Italian Special Forces operators had already acquired advanced medical qualifications and skills through training activities conducted in the United States and within NATO.

Thanks to the agreement with Cardarelli, these capabilities can also be consolidated and maintained in Italy. The Neapolitan hospital has been designated as the only national center selected for this specific task.

The collaboration between Cardarelli and the Special Operations sector has been active since 2023, with periodic courses aimed at acquiring and perfecting life-saving techniques applicable during missions.

The new agreement has already entered the operational phase. On July 16 and 17, at the hospital's Biotechnology Center, an initial training activity was held with eight attendees and three military instructors participating.

The collaboration between public health and Defense

The general director of Cardarelli, Antonio d’Amore, emphasized the importance of collaboration between public health and the Armed Forces.

The already highly qualified Special Forces personnel can indeed use the clinical, surgical, and trauma expertise of the Neapolitan hospital to perfect intervention procedures to be applied during particularly delicate operations.

The hospital environment allows operators to interact with specialists who are daily engaged in managing severe traumas and emergencies, integrating medical knowledge with the experience gained on the ground by military personnel.

This synergy allows for the development of realistic training protocols that adhere to the conditions in which military rescuers might be called to intervene.

Technical-scientific committee established

The hospital's deliberative act also defined the composition of the technical-scientific committee responsible for overseeing the training activities.

For Cardarelli, the members are:

• Maurizio Cappiello, acting director of Training, Research, and International Cooperation;
• Sigismondo Castaldo;
• Gianluca Guggino, director of Thoracic Surgery;
• Alessandro De Masi, head of the Trauma Center;
• Fabio Di Santo, director of Orthopedics 2;
• Filomena Liccardi, director of the Emergency Room.

For the Special Operations sector:

• Rear Admiral Vladimiro Pacini, medical advisor;
• Lieutenant Colonel Francesco Conte, legal advisor;
• Captain Lorenzo Prodan, officer in charge of Capability Developments Section;
• Professor Cesare Beghi, technical-scientific consultant for Defense.

An essential capability to save lives on the field

Maintaining the So.Mi.F.S. qualification represents a fundamental element of the preparation of operators employed in Special Operations.

In these contexts, the military rescuer does not replace the doctor but must be able to intervene in the first minutes following the injury, applying advanced procedures to control bleeding, support vital functions, and prepare the patient for evacuation.

The agreement between Cardarelli and Defense thus strengthens an essential capability for the protection of military personnel, linking the operational experience of Special Forces with the specialized expertise of one of Italy's most important hospital facilities.