Commander's Blog

Each year during August, we observe National Immunization Awareness Month. Unfortunately, numerous people throughout the world suffer from diseases against which they could have been protected if they received proper vaccinations. Here at USAMMDA, we're tasked with helping to protect our Warfighters to make sure they stay healthy and strong, so they'll be ready at all times. One way we do this is through the work of our Pharmaceutical Systems Project Management Office, whose efforts over the years have helped to secure critical vaccines for our troops.

Since October 2011, the PSPMO has been managing the supply of Adenovirus Vaccine Types 4 and 7 for administration to U.S. Service Members during basic training. Annually, this vaccine is given to over 200,000 enlisted trainees, and it has helped to greatly decrease the occurrence of febrile respiratory illness among our Warfighters – keeping our military forces at the top of their game. We're currently pursuing a vaccine for dengue, and vaccines for malaria and chikungunya virus are also being considered for the future, so any of these may one day be placed into the pipeline as critical efforts for our PSPMO team. Without question, the important work we do daily at USAMMDA has implications worldwide.

Although we do spend a lot of time focusing on work, we also need to relax. With the Labor Day holiday less than one week away, I hope everyone is able to enjoy the last weekend of the traditional summer season. As this summer draws to a close, we'll rush into the fall with lots of college football games all over the country, and I'm really excited about the upcoming season. I'm ready to see what my Georgia and Florida teams will do this year. While nothing quite rises to the level of SEC football (in my humble opinion), I'm sure we'll all enjoy the 2017 season following our favorite teams. It's the ups and downs of the college football standings that keep the fans interested each week.

And finally, as we move closer to the start of another fiscal year, which begins October 1, now is the time to start thinking about our FY 2018 priorities. Planning ahead is always helpful, and if we start by prioritizing our efforts now, it will surely help us to hit the ground running when the time comes. I think everyone knows how quickly time passes, especially when we're busy working on multiple programs and projects, so it's certainly a best practice to organize and plan now for the obstacles we may have to face later on. In the end, this will help to make life easier for all of us.

I really appreciate your sincere dedication and enthusiasm – each and every day – regarding the important task we've been given. Both our military and civilian populations reap the benefits of our critical work.

Let's always remember that we're saving lives with everything we do here at USAMMDA.

COL Ryan Bailey