"No Civilian Corps member left behind," that is how one Western Regional Medical Command employee described the efforts of the U.S. Army Medical Command Warrior Transition Unit Restructuring Project Team.
Kimberly Reinbrecht, Civilian Human Resources chief, WRMC; Sgt. Maj. Delvin Lewis, operations sergeant major, WRMC; and Ernest Williams, Warrior Transition Office director, WRMC; were among a team of about 20 Army Medicine professionals from across the United States who collaborated to guide and implement the Fiscal Year 2014 Warrior Care and Transition Program Force Restructure.
The team was recently awarded the MEDCOM FY 2015 2nd Quarter Wolf Pack Award in a video teleconference ceremony.
"I am honored to receive the award," Reinbrecht said. "It is truly a team effort."
The WTU Restructuring Project aligned and balanced the way Army Medicine manages the healing process for wounded, ill or injured Soldiers in transition back to the force or to civilian life.
"The team at the WRMC Warrior Transition Office works diligently daily to ensure that the wounded, ill and injured service members and their families are entrusted to our care, many times without recognition," Williams said. "So to be recognized as part of the team receiving a MEDCOM-level award provides validation that our efforts are valued as an important part of the Army Medicine team."
Lt. Gen. Patricia D. Horoho, commanding general, U.S. Army Medical Command, and the Army Surgeon General, praised the awardees for managing a complex project.
"This is probably one of the most complicated, high-visibility projects that really has the potential to impact our warriors, their families, the strategic reputation of Army Medicine and the Army on how well we care for those that are wounded, ill or injured," Horoho said.
The award-winning team managed the 2014 inactivation of 14 Warrior Transition Units and Community-Based Warrior Transition Units, the activation 11 Community Care Clinics and deliberately managed continued employment for 50 civilian employees displaced by the inactivation of WTUs.
"As a human resources professional, understanding valued members of the Civilian Corps is vital," Reinbrecht said. "I am always proud of what we can achieve together as a team by not losing sight of compassion for those employees whose job security was tested."
Reinbrecht credited the WRMC members of the team for helping to define a good way forward, explaining that team members completed a wide variety of tasks such as facilitating personnel actions, working with multiple supervisors, working with Civilian Personnel Advisory Center representatives, and executing successful job placement for the 50 displaced civilian employees.
"Each of you did this with flawless execution by bringing in the right capabilities to matrix this and not having any degradation in patient services or a need for a (civilian) reduction in force," Horoho said.
Gregg Stevens, AMEDD Center and School, and AMEDD Civilian Corps Chief, said the WTU Restructuring Project Team was a tremendous example of collaboration across the MEDCOM, and that is exactly what the Wolf Pack Award aims to recognize: Mixed teams of MEDCOM military and civilians supporting the Army Medicine mission.
"We're blessed to have the best mission in the world. The best thing any citizen can do for their country is to defend it, whether you defend it in a green suit or a pinstripe suit, doesn't matter," Stevens said. "Within that mission, we have the most honorable mission as Army Medicine because we take care of Soldiers and their families -- anywhere, anytime and often under conditions nobody else would accept, and we do it the best in the world."
Stevens added that best practices and lessons learned from the FY14 restructure will benefit Army Medicine as it implements broader workforce initiatives like Workforce 2020.
"I am just always inspired and impressed by the caliber of those who are serving on the Army Medicine team," Horoho said. "And I take pride in this particular award because I think it really espouses what we're known for. That is, the ability to have diverse capabilities coming together to make a difference in the lives of those that we serve."
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