Army medical units receive modernized equipment
SALT LAKE CITY — U.S. Army Reserve units from the 807th Medical Command (Deployment Support) recently received approximately $1.7 million worth of medical equipment in a recent issue by the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Development Activity, or USAMMDA.
Elements from ten medical units, including an eye surgery team, neurosurgery team, preventive medicine detachment, veterinary detachments and medical logistics companies traveled to the Medical Equipment Concentration Site in Ogden, Utah, for inventory and equipment issue.
“They [USAMMDA] provide units within the 807th MC(DS) with new equipment, which ensures the provision of the highest quality medical care to the soldiers in the battlefield,” said Mr. Jonathan Nolan, Logistics Management Specialist with the 807th MC(DS).
Units typically receive some type of new equipment every year as the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command develops and modernizes operational medical equipment sets, said Col. Neil Thowe, 807th MC(DS) G4. “Once those items are updated on the [modification table of organizational equipment] and identified as property book shortages, they are fielded to the units by based on budgetary constraints.”
USAMMDA’s mission centers on healthcare and medical readiness across the operating force through home station fielding. USAMMDA places orders for 100 percent of the non-expendable items required for a unit conversion, unit activation or modernization.
Equipment shortages are expected as some non-expendable items, due to procurement cycles — current product is no longer sustainable and next generation product has not yet been competitively selected — or industry capabilities and capacity — the ability for industry to meet Army demands — may not be available.
Some equipment shortages may be filled at a later date, if and when equipment or additional funding becomes available. However, in some cases, units may be without these items until their next materiel fielding or set modernization.
“To ensure mission readiness, USAMMDA has developed relationships with field units like those under the 807th,” said Denver Beaulieu-Hains, USAMMDA public affairs officer.
As the 807th MC(DS) is the largest medical command in the Army Reserve, Col. Gina Adam, USAMMDA commander, and Mr. Sean O’Day, USAMMDA Director of Program Support Division, conducted an office call with Maj. Gen. Tracy Smith, 807th MC(DS) commander, and Mr. Kevin Burch, 807th MC(DS) Supervisory Logistics Management Specialist, prior to the fielding to further discuss the significance of fielding new and modern medical equipment to Army Reserve medical units.
Lessons learned and feedback are an invaluable part of the process. The fielding provides units an opportunity to use the equipment and provide critical inputs before a large-scale investment, said Richard Bower, USAMMDA Chief of Materiel Fielding Branch. A working relationship between unit personnel and USAMMDA has been long established with regional managers and liaison officers who have been conducting fielding operations for numerous years.
Bower stated, “It is not uncommon for a regional manager to field medical equipment [to the same unit] several times over the course of three to five years, depending on the unit’s requirements, [modification table of organizational equipment] changes, deployment status, etc.”
Due to the size, location and complexity of the 807th MC(DS)’s units, two of USAMMDA’s regional managers planned and coordinated the fielding over several months in fiscal year 22. The deliberate approach of an extended fielding allowed the maintenance depots the necessary time to ensure all equipment shortages and set builds are as close to a 100 percent fill rate as the Army Supply System will allow, continued Bower.
Significant to the 807th MC(DS) with this fielding is that new units such as the 919th Medical Company Ground Ambulance received their full complement of ground ambulance medical sets. Thowe said, “This year all ground ambulance companies of the 807th MC(DS) and the 3rd MC(DS) are now at 100 percent of authorization. [Medical Company Ground Ambulances] have been operating at less than authorized quantities for ground ambulance sets.”
USAMMDA fields units in accordance with the Dynamic Army Resourcing Priority List, or DARPL — an established order of precedence that guides the distribution of resources against requirements.
As units are prioritized by the Deptartment of the Army G-3/5/7 Force Management Directorate, they are placed on the DARPL and USAMMDA’s Force Sustainment Directorate schedules units for fieldings or direct shipments based off what [modification table of organizational equipment] shortages the units are showing on their property books. Deploying units become the top priority for fielding, explained Bower.
Editor’s Note: On June 29, 2022, Col. James “Andy” Nuce assumed command of the USAMMDA. Col. Gina Adam departed for her next assignment in Austin, Texas.