Commander's Blog

Although we try to broadcast the important mission of USAMMDA to others outside of our organization, our team's dedication to the critical task of supporting our Warfighters certainly speaks for itself. Our nation marks each November as Warrior Care Month, to honor "the courage of wounded, ill or injured Service Members" and highlight "programs that support their return to duty or transition to the civilian community" – and this is where our significant work truly comes into view.

Along with the products we develop to support our military members in the field, we continue to look for ways to support these brave men and women after they return from the fight. Our Tissue Injury and Regenerative Medicine Project Management Office works to make wounded warriors whole again by restoring form, function and appearance, often using state-of-the-art technology and groundbreaking research to develop treatment options. While the TIRM PMO typically focuses on physical injuries, USAMMDA's Neurotrauma and Psychological Health PMO searches for ways to help treat the emotional scars of post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury.

Within the NPH PMO, we're trying to find effective ways to identify PTSD and TBI earlier and closer to the point of injury, so we can rapidly diagnose and treat the Warfighter or veteran. Once diagnosed, we look to ensure that we're providing the proper treatment plan to meet the specific needs of the patient. In fact, this past summer we hosted the first State of the Science Summit for PTSD researchers to share their data on new pharmaceuticals to treat PTSD. We certainly are doing our best to find the right solutions for our military members and veterans, so we can help each one return to the life they had before their injury.

And this focused effort is the same within our TIRM PMO, as we continue to seek effective regenerative medicine techniques, and move these closer to the point of injury for greater success. A current project is investigating a permanent vascular repair solution to restore blood flow more quickly after catastrophic injury, in the hope of avoiding greater trauma to the patient. All of this work begins with our mission to support and sustain the health of our Warfighters, both on and off the battlefield. Our primary goal is to help our Servicemen and -women return to living their lives to the fullest, despite any injuries sustained in combat or elsewhere. It's what we do.

Yes, we spend a lot of time focusing on work, but with the holiday season coming quickly, we really should take this time to focus on our family and friends. With Thanksgiving just a few days away, I hope everyone has the opportunity to relax, eat well, and have some fun – and of course, watch some football! But along with the fun, we must remember to stay safe during our celebrations. If alcohol is involved, please have a plan for getting home safely; appointing a designated driver is always recommended. And keep in mind that with the colder weather comes the possibility of driving conditions that can change quickly, especially when you're traveling through many states. For these long trips, make sure you take rest breaks along the way, and stop to sleep if you feel you're too tired to make it. The holidays won't be fun for anyone if you don't make it to your destination safely.

And finally, I'm really looking forward to our holiday party at Holly Hills this year, and the USAMMDA Social Committee has been working very hard to make sure this is a wonderful event for everyone, so please remember to thank them for their efforts. I hope to see everyone there in festive attire!

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

COL Ryan Bailey