Bavaria cuts ribbon on new Soldier Medical Readiness Center

VILSECK, Germany -- The ribbon was officially cut on the new U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria Soldier Medical Readiness Center, April 15, at the facility located on Rose Barracks.

Commander of the Bavaria Health Command, Col. David G. Richardson, along with BHC deputies and leaders of the SMRC, cut the ribbon in the renovated 2,648 square-foot facility, which was previously a part of the Vilseck Health Clinic before it opened the doors on its new building last year.

The SMRC will serve as the principle medical readiness platform in USAG Bavaria, dedicated to the warfighter. It is aimed at responding appropriately, in an agile and collaborative manner, to provide relevant and reliable pre- and post- deployment medical evaluations, enhancing the readiness of Soldiers.

"We are proud and honored to open this facility and devote its entire mission to Soldier medical readiness," Richardson said in his speech. "We have an excellent partnership here in the Bavaria footprint with our deploying troops. We have a lot of deployments from here, as well as training that occurs here. We are honored to carry out the task of ensuring our warfighters are 100-percent medically ready to take on whatever mission they are called to do."

The SMRC is designed to ensure the individual Soldier's medical readiness is up-to-date, while not impacting access to health clinic appointments for beneficiaries within the BHC area of responsibility. The SMRC can process more than 100 troops daily, and has the capability to process required laboratory studies, immunizations, Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metrics (ANAM) medical evaluations and MEDPROS updates.

During the ceremony, Richardson quoted Army Chief of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, from his message to the Army in which he said readiness is, and will remain, the Army's number one priority.

"This Soldier Medical Readiness Center is one way BHC is dedicated to upholding and carrying out General Milley's priority. As he said, 'Readiness is number one, and there is no other number one.'"

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