Healthy Soldiers are Mission-Ready Soldiers

By 2nd Lt. Robert T. MacDonaldDecember 11, 2014

Honoring the Flu Fighters
1 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Capt. R. David Pierce, commander of Havoc Company, 2nd Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, (Left) and Command Sgt. Maj. Travers, Command Sgt. Maj. of Fort Irwin, California, (Right) shake hands during a ceremony recognizing their dedication to k... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Post the Streamer
2 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Command Sgt. Maj. Steven Travers, Post Command Sgt. Maj., here, attaches the 100% Flu Shot Streamer to the guidon of Havoc Company, 2nd Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment's Oct. 24. This streamer is shows the dedication that Havoc Company has to... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Full Checkup equals Ready to Fight
3 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Spc. Joshua B. Miller, a medic with Havoc Company, 2nd Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, (Right) administers an eye exam for Sgt. 1st Class William A. Pulkinen during his Periodic Health Assessment. The PHAs assist in keeping the soldier's hea... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Maj. Gen. Martin Praises the Flu Fighters
4 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Commanding General of the National Training Center Maj. Gen. Theodor Martin speaks to 2nd Squadron, 11 Armored Cavalry Regiment on the importance of preventative health and his challenge for each company to increase the overall medical readiness of t... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT IRWIN, Calif. -- Maj. Gen. Theodore Martin, commanding general, here, awarded Havoc Company and Gunslinger Troop, 2nd Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment with the flu streamer for having all soldiers vaccinated for the flu Oct. 24.

Havoc and Gunslinger are the first companies to have all their soldiers vaccinated for the flu. This award is Havoc's first milestone in tackling Martin's medical readiness challenge head-on.

After awarding the streamers, Martin addressed 2/11 ACR with his goal to increase medical readiness of every company. Martin stressed preventative health as a means to ensure every soldier is fit to fight.

2/11 ACR has a dual mission of deploying and fighting our nation's wars and conducting rotational support for units training here; a mission that requires soldiers to be healthy and ready to deploy at a moment's notice.

Flu vaccinations are just one part of this challenge. Havoc Company continued towards their goal this past week by completing Periodic Health Assessments. Working with the company's medics and the troop medical clinic, Havoc brought its PHA status from partial to complete for each soldier.

"Havoc Company's next goal is to bring every soldier up to category one on their dental status before December block leave," states 1st Sgt. Jorge Lopez, Havoc Companies 1st Sgt. Soldier's meet the requirement for dental category one by completing annual dental exams if there are no dental problems.

At the end of the day, Capt. R. David Pierce, Havoc Company commander states that whether it's PHA's, dental exams or any other medical standard he wants his soldiers to be healthy and ready for whatever mission they receive.

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