FORT IRWIN, Calif. (July 20, 2015) -- Weed Army Community Hospital (WACH) Soldiers met with regional Clark County School District education experts and Salt Lake City Recruiting Battalion representatives at a luncheon hosted by the Regimental Support Squadron, 11th Armored Calvary Regiment, Fort Irwin, July 16.
MEDDAC Soldiers Pfc. Janice Delatorre, a WACH surgical technologist, Sgt. Stacy Weaver, WACH licensed practical nurse, Sgt. 1st Class Ramone Hollins a WACH laboratory technician and Sgt.1st Class Mario Perez, NCOIC, WACH Radiology Department took part speaking with representatives from the Army Educator/Centers of Influence (E/COI) as well as regional leaders and decision makers from the Clark County School District.
The MEDDAC team spoke candidly about their lives as Army medical professionals and explained how the Army had offered them the opportunity to acquire the medical skills and training to serve their fellow Soldiers now, and to care for patients perhaps in the event they become civilians, in the future.
Members of the MEDDAC team also were able to greet and spend time with several Gold Star and Blue Star Mothers who were invited as guests during the luncheon.
Gold and Blue Star Mother designations were established by congress during World War II. The name came from the custom of families of servicemen hanging a banner called a Service Flag in a window of their homes. The Service Flag had a star for each family member in the military. living servicemen were represented by a Blue Star and those who had lost their lives were represented by a Gold Star.
The luncheon was part of an E/COI tour and designed to provide professional, educational and firsthand experience to regional educators as well as local and state community leaders in order to understand, explain and attest to the quality of Army skills, leadership, technical training, and the well-being of Army Soldiers to their constituents.
The tours are part of the Army Awareness Campaign intended to create visibility and transparency, promote positive impressions of Army Soldiers, and foster good community relations with local communities and the public at large.
ABOUT THE WEED ARMY COMMUNITY HOSPITAL
Weed Army Community Hospital (WACH) is part of the United States Army Medical Department Activity, better known to service members by its acronym MEDDAC.
The WACH on Fort Irwin is home to approximately 500 health care professionals and medical staff providing 24/7 support to the National Training Center (NTC), one of the U.S. Army's largest training areas with over 1,000 square miles of maneuver areas, state of the art training facilities and ranges, with airspace restricted to military use.
Fort Irwin's isolation makes it an ideal site for a variety of NTC training and exercises, consequently the Weed Army Community Hospital is a vital pillar in support of the NTC and Fort Irwin community.
A new $160 million, 216,000 square foot hospital, currently under construction, is scheduled to replace the Weed Army Community Hospital in the fall of 2016. The opening of the new facility will mark a significant milestone in the United States Department of Defense commitment to delivering the best possible healthcare to all service members and their families, and underlines the importance of the NTC and the role MEDDAC personnel and facilities play in support of service members and their families at Fort Irwin.
To learn more about the people and facilities of the Weed Army Community Hospital and the National Training Center at Fort Irwin visit the official NTC website at www.irwin.army.mil
Related Links:
National Training Center Fort Irwin
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