Command staff and senior leaders of 18th Medical Command (Deployment Support) gather near the water on the final day of the unit's strategic off-site planning event held at Hawaii's Air National Guard center on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, on Oct....
Brig. Gen. Patrick Sargent, commanding general, Regional Health Command-Pacific (RHC-P) speaks with senior leaders of the 18th Medical Command (Deployment Support), on the first day of the unit's strategic off-site planning event held at 8th Theater ...
Honolulu, Hawaii -- Senior leaders of the 18th Medical Command (Deployment Support) (18th MEDCOM (DS)) gathered for a strategic off-site, commanders planning event, held at Hawaii's Air National Guard center on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Sept. 28 -Oct. 2, 2015.
During the weeklong conference, leaders met to discuss the variety of roles the 18th MEDCOM (DS) will play in the Indo-Asia-Pacific area of operations as part of current U.S. Army initiatives.
With the ever changing geo-political environments of countries throughout the Pacific area of operations, leaders communicated the importance of maintaining and fostering new relationships with countries through Theater Security Cooperation Program (TSCP) engagements, while enhancing 18th MEDCOM's ready and deployable medical force.
Regional Health Command-Pacific, Commanding General, Brig. Gen. Patrick Sargent, the key-note speaker, provided his strategic vision and expectations of the 18th MEDCOM.
"We have to be at a level of sustained readiness. I think we have done a beautiful job for the engagements, and we need to continue to build upon that", said Sargent.
With over forty nations encompassing the Indo-Asia-Pacific area of operations, Sargent described the 18th MEDCOM (DS) as the "operational arm" of the Regional Health Command-Pacific and set the expectation for an increase in frequency of global health engagements with Pacific partners
towards interoperability.
"I'm looking to this organization to pull together all the intellectual capital needed, to ensure that we have the capacity to operate in an integrated/distributed operation", said Sargent.
Since taking command of 18th MEDCOM (DS) in July, Col. Ann Sammartino has recognized the level of talent she has inherited and the areas which need improvement.
Hosting the conference was an opportunity for 18th MEDCOM (DS) leaders to further shape Army Health Systems in the Indo-Asia-Pacific area of operation and increase overall readiness within the region, "We really need to get to the level where people call on us because we have all this expertise; and we know what we're doing; and we can provide them with the support that they need," said Sammartino.
18th MEDCOM (DS) relies heavily on senior leaders to lead and train, both active and reserve component Soldiers, which leads to the organization's ability to be present in various regions of the Pacific at any given time.
Closing his thoughts, Sargent said, "I want to posture 18th MEDCOM (DS) to be the medical command and control within the region and to be the organization of choice".
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