Army Surgeon General Visits Carlisle Barracks

Commanding General, U.S. Army Medical Command (MEDCOM) and the 44th Army Surgeon General, Lt. Gen. Nadja West, visited the US Army War College (USAWC) and Dunham US Army Health Clinic (DUSAHC) on Feb. 21. Command Sgt. Maj. Gerald C. Ecker, command sergeant major, MEDCOM, accompanied the Surgeon General during the visit.

West started her visit with an office call on Maj. Gen. William E. Rapp, USAWC Commandant. The USAWC provides graduate-level instruction to senior military officers and civilians to prepare them for senior leadership assignments and responsibilities. Each year, approximately 800 students, attend at any one time, half in a two-year-long distance learning program, and the other half in an on-campus, full-time resident program lasting ten months.

At the Dunham Health Clinic West and Ecker received a command brief and tour of the facility which includes the Carlisle Barracks Dental Clinic. During the tour they welcomed opportunities to meet and talk with several staff members.

West and Ecker had lunch at the Root Hall Joint Deli inside the Army War College where they joined Army Medical Department students in the Resident Army War College Class.

The recently implemented Senior Leader Sustainment (SLS) program stations are located inside the Army Wellness Center and were the final stop on the day's itinerary.

MEDCOM has oversight for the SLS which is designed around an Army Physical Fitness Research Institute (APFRI)-like model and incorporates components of Medical Readiness, Human Dimension, System for Health, Army Wellness Center, the Performance Triad (P3) and Medication Therapy Management.

The Army is investing in the SLS initiative to optimize senior leaders' readiness and performance. The program uses the most advanced techniques in health, sports medicine and fitness to enhance wellness and optimize the physical performance and resilience of Army senior leaders.

Before an early afternoon departure, West summed up her visit by saying "Command Sgt. Maj. Ecker and I really appreciate the opportunity to visit here. We had a great reception by Gen. Rapp and it's clear the great support he has for the medical mission and medical team here at Dunham. Also, I was able to spend some time with the great team at the clinic and see the great support that they provide to the community as well as the initiatives they doing for wellness and to improve the long term health of not only the students as they go through the training here at Carlisle but hopefully, they will take that training with them to the rest of the Army to their troops."

As The Army Surgeon General, West advises the Army Chief of Staff and the Secretary of the Army on all issues regarding Army health care and is directly responsible for the creation of policy and the management of the Army health care system.