Commander's Blog

As I reflect over the past year here at the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Development Activity, I'm impressed by all that we've accomplished, together, as one team. I came here knowing there was a lot on USAMMDA's plate, and that a positive attitude would help get the job done. And it has. The smiley face ☺ we use in our emails should be seen as a lifestyle, because it really is all about enjoying your job and having a positive attitude. Without this, nothing else will work. I've learned over the years that exceptional results require exceptional teams, and this is certainly what we have here at USAMMDA, and I am very thankful for the group of people I get to work with every day. You truly put that smile on my face!

The smile continues when I think of all of the milestones we've reached over the past year. For example, approval of the Environmental Sentinel Biomonitor, and we are looking forward to recognizing the Milestone C mark in the near future. The ESB is a critical device that can rapidly screen for toxicity in field drinking water, and this will help to ensure the quality and safety of water for our deployed Warfighters. Delivering capabilities is what we do here at USAMMDA, and I would argue that nobody else does it better! And speaking of delivering capabilities, I think back to this past September when we held our kick-off meeting for the Medical Product Research Development Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity contract that will now allow us to speed up the process of delivering military medical products to our Warfighters. It doesn't get much better than this — we recognized a need and we delivered, as a team, to the men and women who count on us.

It's clear that we do our jobs well, and it's important that we "toot our own horn" sometimes — we can do this by sharing our message and telling our story to groups outside of Fort Detrick. Last fall, the Tissue Injury and Regenerative Medicine Program Management Office organized a Regenerative Medicine Traveling Exchange Program for medical fellows to share our knowledge and research in an effort to raise awareness about the current state of the field, and to educate future medical experts. Opportunities such as this show how the military and academia can collaborate effectively to advance medicine, but these also help us to recruit talented researchers into government service. It's a win-win prospect all around.

But to do our jobs, and do them well, we need a strong plan. Strategic planning sets direction and priorities, and identifies resources necessary to successfully implement the objectives. Once you develop a strategy and create a solid plan, all that remains is proper resourcing and execution of that plan. If all these things are done well, the risk of complications is greatly lessened, and mission success is defined and enhanced. I am thankful that we have had great input from folks here at USAMMDA, because this has made the past year go very smoothly for all of us! But a large part of planning involves training on a regular basis, and we have a fantastic Education and Training Council that offers us many opportunities to invest in our workforce and see a great return. Keep in mind that continual improvement applies not only to processes, but to individuals as well. Professional development is paramount, and we have to take advantage of programs and presentations that are offered throughout the year. I remember Col. Arthur Athens' leadership seminar in November, the Excellence in Government Fellows leadership program in April, and Brad Montgomery's "Science of Happiness" training in June, just to name a few. These were all informative, enlightening, and engaging, and I am glad that so many of our team members were there to participate. Teambuilding is an important factor in creating a successful staff, and we have one of the best here at USAMMDA. I'm also happy to see the other subordinate commands of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command come together at events like these — it shows our unity, which is our greatest strength.

As they say though, "all work and no play" is never a good thing, because it leads to stress in the workplace. I was thrilled with the development of the "Stress-Free Zone" workshop series during this past year, because the health of our team can never be neglected. We initiated a series of monthly 30-minute lunch-and-learn workshops, and I believe this was certainly a "good thing" for everyone. The tips and training offered in these sessions go far beyond the walls of USAMMDA, and lessening stress throughout our workplace family can translate to more quality time with family at home — and family will always be a high priority for me. Also over the year, I was pleased to see our USAMMDA team come out in large numbers to support our sponsoring of two garrison-wide Heritage events recognizing the contributions to our nation of American Indians and Alaskan Natives and also Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Diversity is what makes America as well as USAMMDA great, and I am proud to be part of a team that honors and respects various cultures and backgrounds. Our uniqueness makes life rich and interesting, and personally, I learned quite a bit at both of these gatherings.

Finally, I could not look back over this past year — a great year — without recognizing the tremendous talent that we have at USAMMDA, and the individuals that make it all happen each day! Although we hold Town Hall meetings every quarter, the USAMMDA summer organizational day at Nallin Pond this month was particularly special, and I was proud to present awards that day. I was so happy to see everyone having a great time, and we were so fortunate that the heat held off long enough to give us a beautiful, although breezy, day! In fact, it was so special, that I am now looking forward to the holiday party later this year, and I hope to see everyone there as well. As I mentioned earlier, we need these fun times to relax and recharge, so we can start all over again, doing what we do best — supporting our Warfighters and our Nation.

So, what final words can I say about this past year? Thank you, and I look forward to seeing what the next year brings us because we are a great team doing great things in support of a great country.

What more could you ask for?

Hooah!

COL William Geesey