ACC Command Surgeon Conference Charts Future of Operational Medicine Published April 14, 2026 By Marcus Bullock Air Combat Command Public Affairs JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. -- Air Force medical leaders gathered to chart a decisive course for the future of Air Combat Command’s combat medical support during the ACC Command Surgeon Conference, March 31 - April 2, 2026. The conference, themed “Fly, Fix, Fight: The Future of Operational Medicine,” served as a critical forum to equip leaders with key modernization updates and align on the future of ACC’s operational medicine. The agenda guided attendees through a focused exploration of new capabilities, readiness tools, and policies, all aimed at transforming the Air Force Medical Service into a more integrated, agile, and combat-ready force. To prepare medics for highly contested environments, discussions centered on key topics such as the new Unit of Action Role 1 medical concept, the landmark Air Force Medical Command (AFMEDCOM) Inter-Command Transfer, and the data driven ENVISION platform. “The establishment of Air Force Medical Command is a direct response to the demands of the future fight. Our singular focus is designing and delivering a ready medical force, aligned with operational objectives,” said Lt. Gen. John DeGoes, Air Force and Space Force surgeon general and commander for Air Force Medical Command. “This conference is about putting that into practice. By developing warfighter-centric concepts like Role 1 care and leveraging powerful data tools, we are ensuring our medics are prepared to regenerate the force at the point of need, whenever and wherever that may be." A central topic was the strategic realignment of medical units currently aligned under major commands to AFMEDCOM, a significant structural change designed to unify medical command and control. According to conference briefers, this transition ensures Air Force readiness interests are maintained at the installation level while balancing health care requirements through the partnership with the Defense Health Agency, a shift mandated by the fiscal year 2017 National Defense Authorization Act. "Readiness is the bedrock of everything we do at Air Combat Command, and this conference was about sharpening that edge,” said Col. Raymond Clydesdale, ACC command surgeon. “We are ensuring our medics are not just healthcare providers, but a critical component of the combat force. Every topic, from the agile Role 1 concept to our focus on individual medical readiness, is about generating a force that is not just ready, but ruthlessly ready to meet the demands of a peer fight." The practical application of this new warfighter focus was detailed extensively in the “Air Expeditionary Wing 2.0 Medical Role 1” concept. As the Air Force pivots to a more agile and distributed expeditionary model, medical support must also evolve. Role 1, as defined in joint doctrine, represents the first medical care a service member receives and includes immediate lifesaving measures at the unit level. Presenters outlined the deliberate effort to organize, train, and equip smaller, more mobile medical teams capable of operating in austere locations with a reduced logistical footprint. This strategic pivot is not happening in a vacuum. The conference agenda was heavily shaped by the global security landscape, with multiple classified briefings dedicated to strategic competition. These discussions underscored that the drive for a more lethal and ready medical force is a direct response to the pacing challenges identified in the National Defense Strategy. "For every medic in ACC, our new direction is clear: you must be both an expert clinician and a ready warfighter,” Clydesdale said. “We know this cultural shift to agile, unit-integrated care is a challenge, but my commitment is to provide the training, equipment, and data-driven support you need to deliver combat-ready operational medicine." Leaders openly addressed the significant hurdles facing the operational medicine community specifically in ACC. These challenges include critical manning shortages for Flight Surgeons and Independent Duty Medical Technicians, balancing clinical currency with deployment training requirements, and navigating complex funding streams. To overcome these obstacles, collaboration and the sharing of best practices were encouraged amongst leadership teams. To address these issues, leaders are focused on growing key capabilities, such as increasing the Flight Surgeon inventory and expanding medical presence to support the Agile Combat Employment concept. Furthermore, the command is leveraging data-driven tools like the ENVISION platform to gain better insights into readiness, manning, and personnel data from over 195 sources, enabling more informed, real-time decision-making. The conference concluded with a clear message: the Air Force Medical Service is undergoing a fundamental transformation. By restructuring its command, redesigning its field care, and directly confronting its manning and training challenges, ACC is forging a medical force described by Col. Clydesdale as “ruthlessly ready, and warfighter focused.”