USAF TSOMPT Fellowship
7/9/2018 12:00:00 AM | General
About
Mission Statement: Produce agile, critical, interdisciplinary experts in operational physical therapy who treat, regenerate and prepare the human weapon system to operate in any environment.
Vision Statement: Physical therapy leaders exemplifying the highest standards of practice, shaping policy, and educating others.
Program Goals
1. Master Clinician: Graduates will be neuromusculoskeletal experts who demonstrate clinical mastery by efficiently analyzing, synthesizing, and contributing to the evidence base,ensuring clinically adaptive and cutting-edge care for the operational force.
2. Force Regeneration Specialist: Graduates will optimize the force's ability to treat and regenerate the human weapon system. They will design and execute advanced recovery protocols that measurably decrease non-deployable status and accelerate return-to-duty timelines.
3. Operational Readiness Strategist: Graduates will be leaders who fluently translates mission requirements into targeted clinical and strategic action. They will expertly analyze operational requirements, communicate risk, and integrate Physical Therapy's role to measurably elevate unit and command operational readiness across the Air Force.
4. Human Performance Expert: The Fellow will demonstrate advanced expertise across the spectrum of human performance, providing specialized musculoskeletal consultation and planning that measurably enhances force resilience, capacity, and durability in any environment.
5. Master Learner & Policy Shaper: Graduates will embody the qualities of a master learner by demonstrating continuous clinical and professional development. They will proactively amplify the application of evidence and actively shape policy and practice standards for Physical Therapy at the Department of War (DoW), national, and global levels.
Background & History
The United States Air Force Physical Therapy Operational Readiness Fellowship was originally established as the USAF Tactical Sports and Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy (TSOMPT) Fellowship in 2015. It was granted recognition as a Developing Program on 19 October 2015, granted Candidacy Status by the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education (ABPTRFE) in May 2016, and awarded Full Accreditation in February 2017 by ABPTRFE as well as the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy (AAOMPT). In 2020, the Accreditation Council on Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy Education (ACOMPTE) was formed, and the TSOMPT Fellowship received accreditation from that organization at that time. ABPTRFE and ACOMPTE both accomplished reaccreditation site visits in 2022 and renewed the Program's accreditation status for 10 years. Changes in Department of the Air Force requirements for the active-duty Air Force Physical Therapy career field drove the need to reshape and rebrand the program, resulting in the name being changed to the Physical Therapy Operational Readiness Fellowship. While there have been changes to the Pprogram mission and some of the desired outcomes, the program will continue to be accredited as an orthopedic manual physical therapy fellowship program with ACOMPTE.
Originally the USAF Tactical Sports & Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy (TSOMPT) Fellowship, had it's beginnings in late 2014 as the brainchild of then-USAF Associate Corps Chief for Physical Therapy Col Joe Rogers. Air Force PT had been embedding PTs in Special Warfare (then known as Battlefield Airman) units since 2011 and the supply of PTs with the skills required in this environment was minimal. Col Rogers directed the organization to assess the training needs and opportunities for AF PTs prior to embedding them in SW units. They determined that there was not a civilian or military training program that could meet all the training needs for this population. At that time it was decided to develop a training program that would fill this void. In early 2015, it was determined an OMPT Fellowship located at the USAF Academy would be able to provide the training necessary to prepare AF PTs for embedded positions. In the spring of 2015, final coordination occurred between AFPC and the 10 MDG (at USAFA) to locate the fellowship at USAFA, with the initial cohort starting in June 2016.
In 2022 the program secured an increase in program length from 14- to 18-months. Cohort 8 beginning in January 2024 was the first cohort to complete the 18-month program.
Shifting AF priorities have required the Fellowship to adapt to emerging needs. A major part of this adaptation has been rebranding the program to the USAF Physical Therapy Operational Readiness Fellowship beginning in January 2025. The Fellowship remains well-positioned to continue to produce clinicians and leaders primed to meet the increasing demand across the Air Force.
Curriculum
The Sports and Orthopedic Fellowship is a combined FAAOMPT program allows Fellows to sit for their SCS.
The 18-month program consists of rigorous, advanced, sports medicine focused training designed to prepare experienced Active Duty physical therapists to be clinical experts for neuromusculoskeletal conditions from the point-of-injury (often on the athletic field), through evidence-based therapeutic intervention, culminating in return to competition (and/or military duty).
The program is divided into three semesters, and the curriculum includes a comprehensive array of clinically relevant topics including: anatomy, biomechanics, differential diagnosis, radiology, pharmacology, research design and statistics. Additionally, Fellows complete sports-specific special topics such as athletic injuries, athletic taping, on-the-field point-of-injury emergency care, dermatology, and performance enhancement.
In the third semester, Fellows in Training (FIT) will provide mentorship to the junior cohort in both orthopedic manual therapy, clinical reasoning and sports sideline coverage.
Semester I (Jan-June)
Semester II (July-Dec)
Semester III (Jan-May)
**Describe requirements at end: 150 hours of one-on-one mentorship by a FAAOMPT mentor, 500 hours of patient care and XXX hours of didactics. Additionally, FITs will have the opportunity to work alongside Sports Medicine Physicians, Orthopedic Surgeons, Certified Athletic Trainers, Sports Dietician and Psychologist, Strength and Conditioning Coaches as well as collaborating with The USAF Combatives Center of Excellence and "Human Performance Lab". **Do we mention the USOTC?
Research Activity vs Publications
Provide a running list of publications, platform presentations, and poster presentations that have come out of here (faculty and fellows)
Facilities and Resources
The program is located in the USAFA athletic department….
10MDG/Cadet Clinic
USAFA Athletic Department
306 FTG
USAFA Physical Education Department
**insert pics of facilities
Admissions
PD contact information
Candidates for admission to the program must be active-duty physical therapists in the U.S. Air Force. Candidates must hold a doctorate's degree in physical therapy from a CAPTE accredited physical therapy program. They must have a minimum of four years clinical experience upon entry into the program and be an APTA board-certified specialist in Orthopedics (OCS), Sports (SCS), or Electromyography (ECS). Candidates are selected by a competitive board process known as the Health Professions Education Requirements Board (HPERB). All candidates must accept an active duty service obligation to remain on active duty after completion of the fellowship.
LIEUTENANT COLONEL BRANDON MORGAN
Lieutenant Colonel Morgan is the Program Director, USAF Physical Therapy Operational Readiness Fellowship, Special Warfare Training Wing, Operating Location F, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado. Lt Col Morgan leads ten full-time and adjunct faculty members, providing advanced education and training to Air Force Active-Duty Physical Therapists in preparation for embedded assignments within operational units across the Air Force. The Fellowship graduates three to six personnel annually and has placed 21 graduates into SW positions. Lt Col Morgan also serves as the Force Development Chair (P7), advising the Physical Therapy Consultant to the Surgeon General on Air Force Physical Therapy Education and Training, Deployment Readiness, Officer Development, and Health Professions Educational Requirement programs.
Lt Col Morgan completed the Salt Lake Community College Plumbing Trade School and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Information Systems from Utah State University and worked for several years as a partner in his father's plumbing company. He received his commission as Captain into the United States Air Force in May 2007 after receiving his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Creighton University. Lt Col Morgan attended Commissioned Officer Training in June 2007, where he earned recognition as an honor graduate, and reported to Keesler Air Force Base for his first duty station in July 2007. In 2014, he earned board certification in Orthopedic Physical Therapy, and later that year, completed the Army-Baylor Doctor of Science Degree and Fellowship in Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy and is now a Fellow in the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapists. Lt Col Morgan is supported by his wife of 27 years, Amanda, and their four children: Zachary (26), Samantha (24), Ruben (17), and Bella (17).
Dr. Derek Vraa
PT, DPT, DSc, OCS, SCS, CSCS, CMTPT, FAAOMPT
Associate Professor
Dr. Vraa is a co-founder of the original USAF Tactical Sports and Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapy Fellowship Program where he serves as Senior Faculty, mentoring fellows and teaching didactic coursework. Prior to moving to Colorado, he spent over a decade treating complex pain patients in private practice. He has lectured and taught at a number of physical therapy schools in the upper Midwest including creating orthopedic content for a candidacy DPT program.
Derek is a board certified Orthopedic and Sports clinical specialist, a certified strength and conditioning specialist, certified in dry-needling and completed his Fellowship training in Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy through Regis University in Denver, CO. He has spoken at CSM, AASPT, AAOMPT, the US Air Force Advanced Training Course, has 8 published abstracts, and authored a chapter in the Travell, Simons & Simons Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction 3rd and 4th edition textbook as well as the 2nd edition of Trigger Point Dry Needling: An Evidence and Clinical-Based Approach by Jan Dommerholt and Cesar Fernandez de las Penas. Additionally, Derek completed his DSc at Bellin College, has served as the AAOMPT Academic and Clinical Faculty Special Interest Group Vice-President, and a Program Reviewer for both ABPTRFE and ACOMPTE and is currently the ACOMPTE Chair.
Lt Col Kyle East
PT, DPT, DSc, OCS, SCS, FAAOMPT
Associate Professor
Lt Col Kyle East is currently the Flight Commander of Operating Location-Foxtrot (OL-F) at the United States Air Force Academy, Special Warfare Human Performance Squadron and faculty at the USAF Physical Therapy Operational Readiness Fellowship. Lt Col East directs three full-time faculty members and two enlisted members, in addition he coordinates with five adjunct faculty members. His current role provides advanced education and training to Air Force Active Duty Physical Therapist in preparation for embedded assignments within tactical operational units across the Air Force. Lt Col East also serves as the Special Warfare Functional Advisor to the Physical Therapy career field.
Lt Col East commissioned into the Air Force on 26 June 2006. After completing the Officer Training School, Lt Col East was assigned to the 48th Medical Operations Squadron at RAF Lakenheath, UK. While stationed at RAF Lakenheath, he deployed to Balad, Iraq in support of OIF. He was selected for a position to support NASA's Transoceanic Abort Landing Sites. Lt Col East separated from active duty in June 2010 and transferred to the AF reserves at Whiteman AFB, MO while attending graduate school. Upon graduation Lt Col East recommissioned to active duty in July 2015 and was assigned to the 86th Medical Operations Squadron, Ramstein AB, GE. Lt Col East was selected for the prestigious U.S. Army-Baylor Sports Fellowship at the United States Military Academy, West Point, NY. Currently, Lt Col East is the OL-F Flight Commander at the United States Air Force Academy.
Maj Nicole Saulovich-Rogan
PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT
Assistant Professor
Nicole Saulovich-Rogan accepted a direct commission into the Air Force in October 2019 after working two years in the civilian sector. She graduated from the University of California, Davis in 2014 with her Bachelor of Science in Exercise Biology, the California University of Pennsylvania in 2016 with her Masters in Exercise Science and Health Promotions, and then the University of Southern California with her Doctorate in Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy in 2019. Nicole then completed her Therapeutic Pain Specialist and Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist Certification. She was stationed at Nellis AFB, NV then took Flight Command at Kunsan AB, South Korea. After, she was stationed at the USAF Academy and completed a deployment to Saudi Arabia during this time. Upon returning, she started in the USAF Operational Readiness Fellowship and graduated with her FAAOMPT in November 2025. She will remain on as Faculty.
Maj Saulovich-Rogan is married to Maj Alexander Rogan, current Medical Service Core Officer, and they have three beautiful doggies: Zeus, Oden, and Apollo.
Mission Statement: Produce agile, critical, interdisciplinary experts in operational physical therapy who treat, regenerate and prepare the human weapon system to operate in any environment.
Vision Statement: Physical therapy leaders exemplifying the highest standards of practice, shaping policy, and educating others.
Program Goals
1. Master Clinician: Graduates will be neuromusculoskeletal experts who demonstrate clinical mastery by efficiently analyzing, synthesizing, and contributing to the evidence base,ensuring clinically adaptive and cutting-edge care for the operational force.
2. Force Regeneration Specialist: Graduates will optimize the force's ability to treat and regenerate the human weapon system. They will design and execute advanced recovery protocols that measurably decrease non-deployable status and accelerate return-to-duty timelines.
3. Operational Readiness Strategist: Graduates will be leaders who fluently translates mission requirements into targeted clinical and strategic action. They will expertly analyze operational requirements, communicate risk, and integrate Physical Therapy's role to measurably elevate unit and command operational readiness across the Air Force.
4. Human Performance Expert: The Fellow will demonstrate advanced expertise across the spectrum of human performance, providing specialized musculoskeletal consultation and planning that measurably enhances force resilience, capacity, and durability in any environment.
5. Master Learner & Policy Shaper: Graduates will embody the qualities of a master learner by demonstrating continuous clinical and professional development. They will proactively amplify the application of evidence and actively shape policy and practice standards for Physical Therapy at the Department of War (DoW), national, and global levels.
Background & History
The United States Air Force Physical Therapy Operational Readiness Fellowship was originally established as the USAF Tactical Sports and Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy (TSOMPT) Fellowship in 2015. It was granted recognition as a Developing Program on 19 October 2015, granted Candidacy Status by the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education (ABPTRFE) in May 2016, and awarded Full Accreditation in February 2017 by ABPTRFE as well as the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy (AAOMPT). In 2020, the Accreditation Council on Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy Education (ACOMPTE) was formed, and the TSOMPT Fellowship received accreditation from that organization at that time. ABPTRFE and ACOMPTE both accomplished reaccreditation site visits in 2022 and renewed the Program's accreditation status for 10 years. Changes in Department of the Air Force requirements for the active-duty Air Force Physical Therapy career field drove the need to reshape and rebrand the program, resulting in the name being changed to the Physical Therapy Operational Readiness Fellowship. While there have been changes to the Pprogram mission and some of the desired outcomes, the program will continue to be accredited as an orthopedic manual physical therapy fellowship program with ACOMPTE.
Originally the USAF Tactical Sports & Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy (TSOMPT) Fellowship, had it's beginnings in late 2014 as the brainchild of then-USAF Associate Corps Chief for Physical Therapy Col Joe Rogers. Air Force PT had been embedding PTs in Special Warfare (then known as Battlefield Airman) units since 2011 and the supply of PTs with the skills required in this environment was minimal. Col Rogers directed the organization to assess the training needs and opportunities for AF PTs prior to embedding them in SW units. They determined that there was not a civilian or military training program that could meet all the training needs for this population. At that time it was decided to develop a training program that would fill this void. In early 2015, it was determined an OMPT Fellowship located at the USAF Academy would be able to provide the training necessary to prepare AF PTs for embedded positions. In the spring of 2015, final coordination occurred between AFPC and the 10 MDG (at USAFA) to locate the fellowship at USAFA, with the initial cohort starting in June 2016.
In 2022 the program secured an increase in program length from 14- to 18-months. Cohort 8 beginning in January 2024 was the first cohort to complete the 18-month program.
Shifting AF priorities have required the Fellowship to adapt to emerging needs. A major part of this adaptation has been rebranding the program to the USAF Physical Therapy Operational Readiness Fellowship beginning in January 2025. The Fellowship remains well-positioned to continue to produce clinicians and leaders primed to meet the increasing demand across the Air Force.
Curriculum
The Sports and Orthopedic Fellowship is a combined FAAOMPT program allows Fellows to sit for their SCS.
The 18-month program consists of rigorous, advanced, sports medicine focused training designed to prepare experienced Active Duty physical therapists to be clinical experts for neuromusculoskeletal conditions from the point-of-injury (often on the athletic field), through evidence-based therapeutic intervention, culminating in return to competition (and/or military duty).
The program is divided into three semesters, and the curriculum includes a comprehensive array of clinically relevant topics including: anatomy, biomechanics, differential diagnosis, radiology, pharmacology, research design and statistics. Additionally, Fellows complete sports-specific special topics such as athletic injuries, athletic taping, on-the-field point-of-injury emergency care, dermatology, and performance enhancement.
In the third semester, Fellows in Training (FIT) will provide mentorship to the junior cohort in both orthopedic manual therapy, clinical reasoning and sports sideline coverage.
Semester I (Jan-June)
Semester II (July-Dec)
Semester III (Jan-May)
**Describe requirements at end: 150 hours of one-on-one mentorship by a FAAOMPT mentor, 500 hours of patient care and XXX hours of didactics. Additionally, FITs will have the opportunity to work alongside Sports Medicine Physicians, Orthopedic Surgeons, Certified Athletic Trainers, Sports Dietician and Psychologist, Strength and Conditioning Coaches as well as collaborating with The USAF Combatives Center of Excellence and "Human Performance Lab". **Do we mention the USOTC?
Research Activity vs Publications
Provide a running list of publications, platform presentations, and poster presentations that have come out of here (faculty and fellows)
Facilities and Resources
The program is located in the USAFA athletic department….
10MDG/Cadet Clinic
USAFA Athletic Department
306 FTG
USAFA Physical Education Department
**insert pics of facilities
Program Outcomes
Admissions
PD contact information
Candidates for admission to the program must be active-duty physical therapists in the U.S. Air Force. Candidates must hold a doctorate's degree in physical therapy from a CAPTE accredited physical therapy program. They must have a minimum of four years clinical experience upon entry into the program and be an APTA board-certified specialist in Orthopedics (OCS), Sports (SCS), or Electromyography (ECS). Candidates are selected by a competitive board process known as the Health Professions Education Requirements Board (HPERB). All candidates must accept an active duty service obligation to remain on active duty after completion of the fellowship.
LIEUTENANT COLONEL BRANDON MORGAN
Lieutenant Colonel Morgan is the Program Director, USAF Physical Therapy Operational Readiness Fellowship, Special Warfare Training Wing, Operating Location F, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado. Lt Col Morgan leads ten full-time and adjunct faculty members, providing advanced education and training to Air Force Active-Duty Physical Therapists in preparation for embedded assignments within operational units across the Air Force. The Fellowship graduates three to six personnel annually and has placed 21 graduates into SW positions. Lt Col Morgan also serves as the Force Development Chair (P7), advising the Physical Therapy Consultant to the Surgeon General on Air Force Physical Therapy Education and Training, Deployment Readiness, Officer Development, and Health Professions Educational Requirement programs.
Lt Col Morgan completed the Salt Lake Community College Plumbing Trade School and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Information Systems from Utah State University and worked for several years as a partner in his father's plumbing company. He received his commission as Captain into the United States Air Force in May 2007 after receiving his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Creighton University. Lt Col Morgan attended Commissioned Officer Training in June 2007, where he earned recognition as an honor graduate, and reported to Keesler Air Force Base for his first duty station in July 2007. In 2014, he earned board certification in Orthopedic Physical Therapy, and later that year, completed the Army-Baylor Doctor of Science Degree and Fellowship in Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy and is now a Fellow in the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapists. Lt Col Morgan is supported by his wife of 27 years, Amanda, and their four children: Zachary (26), Samantha (24), Ruben (17), and Bella (17).
Dr. Derek Vraa
PT, DPT, DSc, OCS, SCS, CSCS, CMTPT, FAAOMPT
Associate Professor
Dr. Vraa is a co-founder of the original USAF Tactical Sports and Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapy Fellowship Program where he serves as Senior Faculty, mentoring fellows and teaching didactic coursework. Prior to moving to Colorado, he spent over a decade treating complex pain patients in private practice. He has lectured and taught at a number of physical therapy schools in the upper Midwest including creating orthopedic content for a candidacy DPT program.
Derek is a board certified Orthopedic and Sports clinical specialist, a certified strength and conditioning specialist, certified in dry-needling and completed his Fellowship training in Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy through Regis University in Denver, CO. He has spoken at CSM, AASPT, AAOMPT, the US Air Force Advanced Training Course, has 8 published abstracts, and authored a chapter in the Travell, Simons & Simons Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction 3rd and 4th edition textbook as well as the 2nd edition of Trigger Point Dry Needling: An Evidence and Clinical-Based Approach by Jan Dommerholt and Cesar Fernandez de las Penas. Additionally, Derek completed his DSc at Bellin College, has served as the AAOMPT Academic and Clinical Faculty Special Interest Group Vice-President, and a Program Reviewer for both ABPTRFE and ACOMPTE and is currently the ACOMPTE Chair.
Lt Col Kyle East
PT, DPT, DSc, OCS, SCS, FAAOMPT
Associate Professor
Lt Col Kyle East is currently the Flight Commander of Operating Location-Foxtrot (OL-F) at the United States Air Force Academy, Special Warfare Human Performance Squadron and faculty at the USAF Physical Therapy Operational Readiness Fellowship. Lt Col East directs three full-time faculty members and two enlisted members, in addition he coordinates with five adjunct faculty members. His current role provides advanced education and training to Air Force Active Duty Physical Therapist in preparation for embedded assignments within tactical operational units across the Air Force. Lt Col East also serves as the Special Warfare Functional Advisor to the Physical Therapy career field.
Lt Col East commissioned into the Air Force on 26 June 2006. After completing the Officer Training School, Lt Col East was assigned to the 48th Medical Operations Squadron at RAF Lakenheath, UK. While stationed at RAF Lakenheath, he deployed to Balad, Iraq in support of OIF. He was selected for a position to support NASA's Transoceanic Abort Landing Sites. Lt Col East separated from active duty in June 2010 and transferred to the AF reserves at Whiteman AFB, MO while attending graduate school. Upon graduation Lt Col East recommissioned to active duty in July 2015 and was assigned to the 86th Medical Operations Squadron, Ramstein AB, GE. Lt Col East was selected for the prestigious U.S. Army-Baylor Sports Fellowship at the United States Military Academy, West Point, NY. Currently, Lt Col East is the OL-F Flight Commander at the United States Air Force Academy.
Maj Nicole Saulovich-Rogan
PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT
Assistant Professor
Nicole Saulovich-Rogan accepted a direct commission into the Air Force in October 2019 after working two years in the civilian sector. She graduated from the University of California, Davis in 2014 with her Bachelor of Science in Exercise Biology, the California University of Pennsylvania in 2016 with her Masters in Exercise Science and Health Promotions, and then the University of Southern California with her Doctorate in Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy in 2019. Nicole then completed her Therapeutic Pain Specialist and Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist Certification. She was stationed at Nellis AFB, NV then took Flight Command at Kunsan AB, South Korea. After, she was stationed at the USAF Academy and completed a deployment to Saudi Arabia during this time. Upon returning, she started in the USAF Operational Readiness Fellowship and graduated with her FAAOMPT in November 2025. She will remain on as Faculty.
Maj Saulovich-Rogan is married to Maj Alexander Rogan, current Medical Service Core Officer, and they have three beautiful doggies: Zeus, Oden, and Apollo.
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