Commander's Blog

Now that the days are getting longer and the temperature continues to climb, we should be able to spend more time doing outdoor activities. With the warmer weather comes the beauty of springtime – its colorful flowers and plants, the birds chirping, and trees in full bloom all around us. Although our late winter snow did affect the cherry blossoms along Washington's Tidal Basin, they're still looking great, and you should plan a trip to see them soon if you haven't already done so. At their peak, it is a truly breathtaking sight!

We should always appreciate the wonders of our world, and the beauty of nature, but this month is a perfect time as we are reminded that Earth Day will be celebrated across the globe on Saturday, April 22. The campaign of Earth Day 2017 is "Environmental and Climate Literacy," and the program will be advocating worldwide education in an effort to understand the depletion of our natural resources, as well as how we can come together in defense of environmental protection. While the main thrust of the project is about saving our world, the Network also hopes to accelerate green technologies and create related jobs. Earth Day is a great time for all of us to gather with our family and friends for a great cause that will certainly benefit everyone – especially our children and future generations. You can learn more about Earth Day 2017 at http://www.earthday.org/earthday/.

As I mentioned, this is the time to start enjoying the outdoors again – so get out your bikes, put on your running (or walking) shoes, and jump start your exercise plan. And if you've put off your New Year's resolution to start a fitness regimen, wait no longer and get out there! I really welcome this time of the year, and I am happy to be getting back outside for my run each day. Any time is a great time to take care of yourself, and your health!

And speaking of taking care of ourselves, we all should be taking care of our personal finances, as Tax Day 2017 is quickly approaching. Because of the calendar this year, the deadline for filing your tax return is April 18 – which gives some of us a few extra days to rush around frantically until the last minute! But all jokes aside, make sure you file an extension if needed, and also be aware of the recent IRS tax return identity fraud that has hurt many honest taxpayers. You may need to change your IRS pin number before filing, so make sure that you closely review the information posted at the IRS website, https://www.irs.gov/.

While we're on the topic of finances, Tax Day is also our last opportunity to contribute to a 2016 Individual Retirement Account. We all should take advantage of every chance to build our retirement savings, because it's never too late to invest in our future. After all of the wonderful work that we do each day in support of this great country, we certainly deserve to enjoy a comfortable retirement with family and friends when that time comes. Wise planning and careful consideration of financial options today will only help to secure an enjoyable lifestyle tomorrow – and I can't think of a more deserving group than our USAMMDA family.

Finally, I am very proud to announce that our USAMMDA family continues to be recognized for our meaningful work. We recently received the results of the 50th Excellence in Federal Careers annual awards, sponsored by the Baltimore Federal Executive Board, and we have two winners this year! Mr. Jaime Lee was named a Silver Award winner for his wonderful work as a Product Manager in our Medical Support Systems Program Management Office, and Mr. Daimen Michaels will receive the Bronze Award for his outstanding efforts as Chief of the USAMMDA Business Office. As a Silver Award winner, Jaime is now in the running to receive a Gold Award, which will be announced at the awards banquet on Friday, May 5, in Baltimore. I'm sure everyone is very excited for Jaime and Daimen, and I am looking forward to celebrating with our team at the luncheon, to proudly represent our great organization.

Again, I am extremely proud of the fantastic team that we have here at USAMMDA, and I am equally appreciative that our folks are being recognized by external organizations for their amazing work. What we do each day takes a tremendous amount of knowledge, skill, and professionalism – not to mention a great deal of patience – and our group appears to do this effortlessly. It's not very surprising that outside groups are starting to consider USAMMDA as the benchmark for how to be successful in this space, and it all stems from our high standards and the way we choose to do business. This is certainly a reflection of the way we respect others, and ourselves, in all we do – and it's something we all can take to heart.

Remember to schedule time for yourself, because you deserve it!

Hooah!

COL William Geesey