The multimorbidity of US special forces “operator syndrome” calls for a multidisciplinary response

The United States Special Operations Forces (SOF) are highly trained warfighters who frequently deploy to combat and face life-threatening occupational hazards.1,2 These exposures are associated with a cluster of medical and psychiatric conditions that includes blast injuries, traumatic brain injury (TBI), chronic insomnia, depression, and suicidal behaviors.2 Recent literature refers to this cluster of symptoms as “operator syndrome.”2 Although not a formal diagnosis, the term describes a clinical phenotype of related medical illnesses and psychiatric disorders.