Army medical developers showcase latest in health care tech, capabilities during AUSA Expo in Nation's Capital
Team members with the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Development Activity (USAMMDA) joined some 30,000 attendees and exhibitors during the final day of the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) annual meeting and exhibition in Washington, D.C., Oct. 11, 2023.
USAMMDA, the U.S. Department of Defense's lead medical product development activity, develops new drugs, vaccines, devices, and medical support equipment designed to enhance Joint Force readiness and maximize survival of medical casualties on the battlefield.
During AUSA, representatives from USAMMDA, U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense (USAMRICD), U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM), and U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command (USAMRDC) met and spoke with attendees visiting the U.S. Army Medical Command (MEDCOM) exhibit.
International events like AUSA are an opportunity for U.S. Army medical developers to connect with both Department of Defense (DoD) and industry stakeholders, and to highlight the importance of developing medical capabilities today to meet the needs of tomorrow's Warfighters, according to U.S. Army Col. Andy Nuce, commander of USAMMDA.
"Conferences like this allow us to showcase our capabilities and get a closer look at what's being developed around the Army," said Nuce. "They're also a good opportunity to see technologies from some of our partner nations, and to talk with industry representatives about new medical products that might be adapted for military use."
U.S. Army medicine has shifted its focus during the past several years, from sustaining combat operations during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, to modernizing the medical technologies and treatments the U.S. Joint Forces will require during operations in contested regions in the Indo-Pacific and Arctic regions. Future conflicts are expected to include dispersed operations with logistics and supply lines stretching across hundreds, or even thousands, of miles. To meet those challenges, USAMMDA and its partner organizations under the banner of USAMRDC and MEDCOM are developing devices, treatments, and technologies for military health care providers at and near the front line.
AUSA offers an ideal venue to show DoD and industry stakeholders the value of current development programs, and to help make connections for future partnerships, according to U.S. Army Master Sgt. Hunter Black, USAMMDA's senior enlisted medical advisor.
"It's great to be able to represent USAMMDA and the rest of Army Medicine at events like AUSA," said Black, a combat medic with more than 16 years' experience treating combat trauma and injuries. "The programs we are developing right now fit right into the Army's modernization strategies, and there is no better place to connect with other DoD organizations, industry, and academia to show what we are doing to help better equip the warfighters of the future."
During the event, senior leaders from across the U.S. Army and Army medicine, including U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Scott Dingle, Surgeon General of the U.S. Army and commanding general of MEDCOM, and Command Sgt. Maj. Timothy Sprunger, MEDCOM's senior enlisted leader, toured the MEDCOM exhibit and met with some of the Soldiers who are spearheading current Army medical research and development. The event gave senior leaders an opportunity to see the future of Army medicine and to learn how the future of combat casualty treatment is being shaped today, according to Black.
"As a combat medic, it is always reassuring to see the programs and products our team is developing. Our focus is always on equipping Warfighters, giving the medics near the front line the tools they need to preserve and save lives, and the treatments that keep warfighters in the fight," said Black. "The medical device programs of today are designed for the wars of tomorrow, and AUSA is a great forum for us to show what capabilities are on the horizon."