Jacek Zapendowski

As the Director of a Special Forces component located in Europe, I am in charge of a 50 person contingent of Green Berets, intelligence, artillery, and communication personnel working around the clock seven days a week. My responsibilities include liaising with senior Department of Defense, Department of State, foreign officials, and intelligence community members. As the director I work closely with key NATO allies such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Netherlands, and Poland to develop and support key allies in eastern Europe.

As a Special Forces Operations Officer, I was in charge of planning and executing the missions and training of a Special Forces Battalion, to include the coordination for and implementation of medical assets. I was in charge of a group of 30 Soldiers as well as the mentoring of new officers arriving to the Battalion. I interacted with and worked with individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds and organizations, to include foreign allies, intelligence communities, law enforcement, Department of State, and congressional entities.

As a Captain in the U.S. Army Special Forces, I led a detachment consisting of twelve Green Berets that specialized in demolitions, engineering, communications, weapons, intelligence, and austere medicine. Over the course of my tenure, we trained across the continental United States, with NATO organizations, the Border Patrol Tactical Unit, Search and Rescue organizations, and deployed to Eastern Europe. As the commanding Officer of the element, I provided the direction and focus of the team based off of analysis of current world events and guidance from higher command. Our primary job included developing relationships and working with foreign allies from a wide breadth of organizations.

As a Green Beret Captain, I was deployed to Afghanistan where I worked as a Battle Captain in our Headquarters. There I was in charge of managing and coordinating aerial and ground assets in support of U.S objectives to include the pursuit of known terrorists. I helped coordinate and support medical evacuations as well as medical resupplies, to include COVID vaccine distribution during the pandemic. I was also present during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, organizing efforts to hand off equipment and responsibilities to our Afghan counterparts, witnessing the beginning of the collapse of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, and the ensuing efforts to evacuate families.

As an Executive Officer I was in charge of the support and logistical elements of a Special Forces Company. During my tenure, I was deployed to Southern Syria and managed cross border operations, base expansion, and local Syrian fighter requirements. I organized several aerial re-supplies of medical materials and food for the base and local refugee camp. I also organized several medical evacuations for Syrian Allies, helping coordinate cross border requirements and medical assets. I worked closely with a Syrian counterpart, establishing a working relationship and helping to improve their capabilities.

I volunteered at a base clinic in an austere location in southern Syria as well as a forward surgical site across the border in northern Jordan. When I was not busy with my primary role as an Executive Officer, I helped organize supplies, retrieve instruments, fix power and structural issues, documented vitals, observed cases, gathered patient history through the use of an interpreter, and organized creative methods of delivering supplies (that included aerial drops) to both the base clinic and the local refugee camp.

As an Infantry Platoon leader my role was multifaceted and demanding, requiring leadership and adaptability. I was responsible for the welfare, discipline, and combat readiness of a group of 40 soldiers. As the Platoon leader I had to effectively communicate objectives, coordinate tactical maneuvers, and ensure the safety of my team in high-pressure environments. I was often required to make split-second judgments that impacted the outcome of a mission and the lives of those under my command. The role demanded resilience, integrity, and the ability to thrive under intense circumstances, qualities that are invaluable in any field, including medicine.