A group of Congressional staffers visited the U.S. Army Medical Research and Material Command at Fort Detrick June 5 to learn more about the organization's major programs and mission focus.
Maj. Gen. Brian Lein, commander of the USAMRMC and Fort Detrick, and other senior leaders met with the staffers to brief them on the USAMRMC's unique capabilities.
The USAMRMC sustains the health and fighting ability of Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines through programs in medical research, medical materiel development, medical logistics and the development of new technologies to improve medical care both on the battlefield and in the fixed facility.
"The threats that service members face, such as infectious diseases and traumatic brain injuries, continue even as active combat ends" Lein said during the briefing. "We support the Warfighter throughout their life."
After the briefing, the Congressional staffers toured the U.S. Army Center for Environmental Health Research and received briefings on the USAMRMC's contributions to the Ebola Response and current projects related to integrative systems biology.
Staffers then visited the Air Force Medical Evaluation Support Activity's field site where they spoke with subject matter experts and learned about the command's science and technology, advanced product development, regulatory affairs support, and global strategic medical logistics missions, as well as the 6th Medical Logistics Management Center's theater supply chain integration mission.
Dr. Kenneth Bertram, Principal Assistant for Acquisition, and Dr. John Frazier Glenn, Principal Assistant for Research and Technology, discussed USAMRMC's process in transitioning medical products to advanced development and the command's interactions with the Food and Drug Administration.
Bertram and Glenn pointed out throughout the tour different ways the research and projects being presented were impacted by how the USAMRMC's leverages partnerships with organizations such as the National Institutes of Health, the pharmaceutical industry, and philanthropic organizations to amplify the impact of Department of Defense investment.
"We are able to take items already being researched, but may have a use for Soldiers that the average citizen wouldn't encounter and leverage the research already being conducted to benefit our end goal of Warfighter health," said Bertram. "This saves us time and the tax payer's money, and most of research translates in some way to public health. It's a win-win."
The staff members in attendance represented the offices of Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS); Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL); Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA); Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA); Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN-4); Rep John Carter (R-TX); and Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH).
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