Commander's Blog

On April 25, organizations across the nation will honor our administrative specialists on "Administrative Professionals Day." We have been celebrating this valuable group of America's workforce since 1952, and this day provides a welcome opportunity to acknowledge each and every person who is part of this team. Within USAMMDA, it goes without saying that our organization could not run effectively, or efficiently, without the hard work and dedication of our administrative professionals – they truly do keep the command moving forward, day in and day out. This specialized group remains extremely valuable to the work we do, and their efforts contribute directly to the accomplishment of our mission to protect and preserve our Service Members throughout the world. I know I speak for our entire USAMMDA family when I say "thank you" for all that you do!

As April comes to a close, we're finally starting to see some warmer weather in our region. Please remember to be careful and stay safe during all outdoor activities; and always use sunscreen lotion to protect your skin against the effects of harmful ultraviolet rays. The days are getting longer, and the sunshine is certainly getting stronger at this time of the year. There are many things to do outside, such as hiking, biking, and riding a motorcycle, if you have one. If so, please keep in mind the motorcycle safety tips recently sent out by our safety officer, Marvin Saunders. First and foremost, check the condition of your motorcycle and riding gear, and make sure that everything is working properly before you head out for that first ride of the season.

Of course, there are many popular outdoor sports such as basketball, baseball, and golf. In fact, I recently participated in the Commanding General's golf tournament, and it seemed that everyone really enjoyed themselves, especially because the weather was so beautiful that day. Also, speaking of baseball, the season officially starts in April, and there are many games and stadiums to choose from in our region. Many times, a minor league game can be just as exciting as a major league contest, so try to make time to take your family to one of the many ballparks in the Washington/Baltimore area. The Fort Detrick Civilian Welfare Council typically organizes a trip to Oriole Park each year for our civilian workforce, but I'd also like to schedule a USAMMDA night at the Frederick Keys ballpark this summer. We'll send out an email in the near future to see the level of interest. I'm all for it, and I'm sure it would be a fun event to bring together our families at the stadium!

Finally, we'll soon be implementing change management training, to address the upcoming changes to our organization. We're excited to begin our collaboration with the team at USAMMA, so stay tuned for further details regarding the training sessions, and our strategic planning in relation to these changes. We truly appreciate everyone's flexibility as we evolve our command for the benefit of Army Medicine and our USAMMDA mission to help sustain our Warfighters.

As always, thank you for everything you do for our country! And please remember to take time to relax and enjoy the beauty of springtime throughout our area over the next few weeks – I think many would agree that this is the nicest time of the year in our region.

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

COL Ryan Bailey