Commander's Blog

I hope everyone had an enjoyable and relaxing holiday season, as it was certainly well deserved after the tremendous effort our team put forth this past year in serving our nation and our Warfighters. But as always, with the end of one year comes the beginning of another – and with it, dozens of resolutions that we hope to keep throughout the year. Actually, this is the perfect time to reset ourselves and establish goals that will drive us forward into 2017. Typically, these goals are often focused on matters related to our health, family, finances, or careers, which are certainly important factors in our lives. Out of these, however, we usually have the most control over improving our personal well-being, so this is what I would like to target as we move ahead.

My wife and I have set personal health goals that we hope to maintain for 2017. I'll admit that I have been on and off the "health wagon" throughout this past year, but I feel that I'm ending 2016 in a comfortable place – wearing "comfortable" pants. So, it's important that we help each other stay on track to improve our health, for ourselves and also for the people who count on us each day. Actually, this effort will help us to remain in line with the health initiatives of the Department of Defense Military Health System. The DOD's "Operation Live Well" program offers resources that can help manage various lifestyle choices related to physical and mental wellness, nutrition, exercise, sleep, and tobacco-free living, and you can learn much more about these focus areas by visiting the website at http://health.mil/Military-Health-Topics/Operation-Live-Well.

This important program is connected to the Army's Performance Triad, which is a comprehensive plan to improve readiness and resilience through public health initiatives and leadership engagement. Within this plan, focus is placed on sleep, activity and nutrition to maintain a heathy, active lifestyle for Servicemen and -women– in other words, couch potatoes need not apply! Let's take a closer look at each of the three components of the Triad to see what they mean to us.

Adequate sleep each day is important for physical, mental and emotional health. Whether on the battlefield or on post, lack of sleep can lead to poor physical performance and reduced cognitive function. Although it may seem difficult at times, it is critical that we all try to get enough sleep each night so we feel rested and ready to go when we wake up. We have so much to learn and do each day, dragging ourselves around on little rest will only be counterproductive to our mission, so create a sleep plan that allows you to get the proper amount of rest every night. Trust me, you'll be glad you did, and you will certainly see the results quickly!

Daily activity and physical fitness remain critical to help us perform like top athletes. But we can't overdo it either, as too much activity can lead to injuries, which will only hinder our strength and stamina. Practicing the principles of safe and effective training is paramount in maintaining a ready and resilient force, so we must do what is necessary to stay healthy and fit – our nation is depending on us for this.

Coupled with these two items is proper nutrition, which should be self-explanatory. Our bodies need fuel to perform and excel, and it is extremely important that we put only the best fuel in our systems. I know many of us enjoy our sweets and junk food, but these shouldn't be our main source of nourishment. Eating the right foods, at the right times, will increase endurance and energy levels, improve focus and concentration, shorten the recovery time between activities, and help us to look and feel better about ourselves. As they say, "you are what you eat," and this is no more important than when it comes to the men and women of our military force. Proper nutrition is mission critical, and as you know, our mission continues each and every day we come to work.

Although it may seem a bit difficult to keep up with proper sleep, activity, and nutrition on a daily basis, there are various apps and electronic devices on the market that can create a fun way to help manage our hectic schedules. These items can help maintain discipline, record calorie intake and burn rates, and monitor activity and sleep patterns. And while keeping up with the three components of the Performance Triad will help to ensure our readiness when called upon, this also bolsters our mental and physical health while helping to reduce our stress levels each day, which is certainly very good for all of us.

Now, to kick off our New Year's health resolutions, I'd like to propose a three-month challenge so we can support each other in staying on the "health wagon." For those who would like to participate, we'll create a sign-up sheet for a buddy system within USAMMDA. We'll begin with an initial weigh-in, and then record our status weekly to monitor progress. It would also be great to establish a recipe exchange for healthy meals and treats, and perhaps we can schedule times for group exercise sessions. Keeping our organization together and focused on this effort would certainly be a wonderful way to achieve a healthier lifestyle! I hope to see a really nice turnout for this, and more details will be coming soon.

As we recently kicked off our Lines of Effort group sessions to initiate our new Strategic Plan, I was very pleased to see the overwhelming amount of positive responses and energetic volunteers who will be working together to help drive our organization forward. The fantastic efforts of these men and women will certainly help to create a much stronger, and more efficient, USAMMDA team as we move forward.

And speaking of moving forward, we recently announced that Col. John "Ryan" Bailey will be leading the USAMMDA team as commander upon my departure this June, and I am very excited about what Col. Bailey will bring to our organization. His background in acquisition and medical logistics will be a tremendous asset to the mission of USAMMDA. As for my plans, I am still considering various options, but I will certainly keep you posted and let you know when I've made a decision on what is next – but we still have quite a lot to accomplish together before that day comes.

So for now, I wish you and your family health and happiness as we head into another exciting year!

Hooah!

COL William Geesey