Junior officer nominations sought for 2015 Medical Service Corps Awards of Excellence selection

By David Ruderman, U.S. Army Human Resources Command Public AffairsMarch 11, 2015

Medical Service Corps Awards of Excellence
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Medical Service Corps Awards of Excellence
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – The 18th Chief of the Medical Service Corps, Brig. Gen. Patrick D. Sargent, will host junior officer Award of Excellence recipients and leaders of the Army Medicine community the during the annual Junior Officer Week gathering in Falls Church, Virgin... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT KNOX, Kentucky -- Commands across the Army are encouraged to nominate outstanding junior officers and warrants for the 2015 Medical Service Corps Award of Excellence competition.

Nominations are due March 11. There is no limit to the number of officers a unit or installation may nominate, and eligibility applies to all organizations assigned MSC officers.

"Last year we had 114 personnel apply," said Capt. Valerie Bartonico, an assignment officer with Medical Service Corps Branch, Health Service Division, Officer Personnel Management Directorate, U.S. Army Human Resources Command.

"We usually get a pretty good turnout. The people that are nominating junior officers have to actually be in their chain, so it's FORSCOM, MEDCOM type of units," she said.

The program provides personal recognition to outstanding junior MSC officers and warrant officers who have made significant contributions to the Army Medical Department (AMEDD) mission and have performed in an exceptional manner. The Office of the Chief, Medical Service Corps, will announce the recipients, who will attend the annual Junior Officer Week gathering April 27 to May 1.

Since the program's initiation in 1982, the Chief, MSC, has presented an Award of Excellence in various categories to recognize outstanding young officers and to encourage their future contributions to the corps. This year, awards will be bestowed in the health services maintenance technician (warrant officer), health services administration, medical allied sciences, preventive medicine sciences and clinical allied sciences categories.

The selection panel will also pick one U.S. Army Reserve and one Army National Guard officer to participate, and a Peer Award will recognize one Soldier as voted by the junior officers themselves.

Selection allows junior officers to meet and discuss current Army Medicine developments and missions with senior MSC, AMEDD and Department of Defense leaders. The program includes briefings by the Office of the Surgeon General, U.S. Army Human Resources Command, Defense Health Agency and a range of military health system joint partners.

Bartonico said participants get to view their own efforts and experiences through the lens of the medical leadership, who see Army Medicine in the context of the Army's constantly evolving mission requirements.

"It just opens their eyes, broadens their perspective of what's going on," she said.

Only online submissions will be accepted; hard copy or emailed nominations are not valid. Nominating materials may found online at https://akosecured.detrick.army.mil/mscawards/awardform.cfm.

"The actual nomination form is web-based," said Bartonico. "They fill it out, hit submit and that will go the Office of the Chief of the MSC. They'll compile all the packets together for the final panel."

What exactly does the selection panel look for in a nominee's record?

"They're looking for officers that have made an impact on their unit and are out there doing outstanding things, enabling the AMEDD mission, the Army medical mission. We have officers right now that are on the cutting edge of research and scientific study. Some of these officers may have even participated in the recent Ebola missions," she said.

Once the selection panel has confirmed its choices, MSC will notify the selectee's chain of command.

"There are only nine winners here and we get over 100 nominees each year, so it's pretty interesting," said Bartonico. "There are a lot of great things being done out there, so for them to sift through and look at who came out on top that year . . . it's a tough decision, but it's a great program."

Details are online at https://www.hrc.army.mil/Milper/15-055 (CAC logon is required). Interested commands may reach MSC points of contact at usarmy.jbsa.medcom-ameddcs.mbx.medical-service-corps@mail.mil.

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