Commander's Blog

In 2008, November was designated "Warrior Care Month" by the Secretary of Defense as a "DOD-wide effort aimed at increasing awareness of programs and resources available to wounded, ill and injured Service Members, their families, and those who care about them." At USAMMDA, we actually support this effort each and every month of the year, as our primary mission is focused on providing critical medical products to our Warfighters both on and off the battlefield.

To ensure this can be done as quickly as possible, Public Law 115-92 was established by Congress last December which authorized "additional emergency uses for medical products to reduce deaths and severity of injuries caused by agents of war, and for other purposes." Earlier this month, representatives from the DOD and U.S. Food and Drug Administration met at USAMRMC Headquarters to sign a Memorandum of Understanding regarding PL 115-92, and the result of this collaboration will allow for the expedited approval of certain medical products when our Warfighters are in danger, while still ensuring the safety and efficacy of these products. The bottom line is that the health and welfare of our Servicemen and -women must come first — always and without question.

So we may continue to provide the best care possible, we held a strategic planning session last month to establish our top priorities for FY19. The results of this meeting will help to create the right conditions to ensure USAMDMA remains the best organization to support our Warfighters in the field and at home. Some key priorities include developing acquisition logistics competencies to help with our post-Milestone C planning, ensuring USAMDMA's messaging strategy speaks to how we're improving the readiness of our Armed Forces, updating our Tasker system for efficiency, and thoroughly defining the role of Quality within the organization. With regard to our staff members, we intend to expand our focus on career-ladder development, implement a proactive system for individual and group award nominations, improve our on-boarding processes, and enhance our focus on USAMMDA's Culture of Safety. Although we do a great job, there's always room for improvement, which can only help to make us an even better organization going forward.

With Thanksgiving approaching this week, we all should pause to show our gratitude for our family, friends and loved ones. While you're enjoying the great food over the holiday, please take time to reflect on all of the blessings we've received throughout the year. If you're traveling, make sure to have a good plan in place that allows for rest stops along the way. And keep a sharp eye on the weather, as things can change quickly during this time of the year. As I always say, we need each and every member of our USAMMDA family to be safe and healthy so we can carry out our important mission!

And finally, what would Thanksgiving be without some great Turkey Day football games? This year, our area is in for a treat as the Redskins take on the Cowboys in the famed rivalry. But I'll also be looking forward to seeing my Falcons meet the Saints, so you know what I'll be doing on Thursday night! But you can be sure I'll be watching the game with my family around me, of course!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday — I'm certainly thankful to be part of this team!

COL Ryan Bailey