MEDDAC-AK honors leaders with O2M3

By Ms. Brandy C Ostanik (Regional Health Command Pacific)March 1, 2019

O2M3 Awardees
Two Medical Department Activity-Alaska leaders, Lt. Col. Kyndra Jackson (center), preventive medicine chief, and Lt. Col. Dalmar Jackson (second from right), deputy commander for administration, were awarded one of the most prestigious honors in mili... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT WAINWRIGHT, Alaska -- Two members of Medical Department Activity-Alaska were awarded one of the most prestigious honors in military medicine: The Order of Military Medical Merit (O2M3) during the MEDDAC-AK annual winter ball Jan. 18 at Westmark Hotel.

Lt. Col. Kyndra Jackson, chief of preventive medicine, and husband Lt. Col. Dalmar Jackson, deputy commander for administration, joined the distinguished ranks of the O2M3, a unique, private organization founded by the commanding general of U.S. Army Health Services Command in 1982.

Membership into the 02M3 seeks to recognize military medicine leaders who have demonstrated the highest standards of integrity and moral character, displayed an outstanding degree of professional competence, served in the Army Medical Department for a minimum of 10 years, with selflessness, and have made a sustained contribution to the betterment of Army Medicine.

The awardees, nominated by fellow 02M3 awardee and commander for MEDDAC-AK, Col. Constance Jenkins, each have a long history of excellence within the AMEDD.

Lt. Col. Kyndra Jackson

Kyndra Jackson began her career and her contributions to the AMEDD as a staff nurse at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in 2001.

Kyndra Jackson was also an integral member of the 2011-2012 Rabies Response Team formed in response to a Soldier death from rabies contracted during a deployment to Afghanistan.

"As a staff officer, she coordinated efforts of more than 130 public health nurses across 80 installations, including both theaters of operations, to manage care for over 9,000 individuals," said Jenkins. "Her ability to manage effective teams, ensured care coordination was initiated within 72 hours of identification. This initial response and subsequent follow-up resulted in significant changes to the post-deployment health assessment form and processes ensuring rabies risk is specifically assessed."

Most recently, while assigned to Fort Wainwright, Kyndra Jackson leveraged her preventive medicine team's expertise and ability to foster a collaborative spirit among garrison organizations to greatly impact U.S. Army Garrison Alaska's progress in Installation Management Command (IMCOM) directed environmental hazard assessments across military housing.

"The ongoing and proactive collaboration between MEDDAC-AK industrial hygiene personnel, Department of Public Works and privatized housing leaders resulted in USAG Alaska being recognized as one of the first installations across the Department of the Army to complete phase one inspection requirements," said Jenkins.

"Recognizing the importance of industrial hygiene expertise in this initiative, she was also proactive in coordinating Environmental Protection Agency certified lead inspector training for her staff and installation stakeholders."

Lt. Col. Dalmar Jackson

Dalmar Jackson was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Medical Service Corps in 2001.

Jenkins acknowledged Dalmar Jackson, serving as the medical operations planner for Task Force Charger, for his tireless work and contributions while deployed in 2004 and 2005 to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom II. During this time, a task force located at the forward operating base fought in one of the most significant battles during the campaign and sustained over 60 casualties.

"Lt. Col. Dalmar Jackson worked with a well-trained medical team to evaluate, treat, and evacuate the injured Soldiers to the proper role of care," said Jenkins. "Throughout the rest of the deployment, Lt. Col. Dalmar Jackson worked with senior medical officers and other clinical team members to document the lessons learned from that mass casualty event in order to improve the readiness of future medical units to the theater. Those lessons learned have been captured as best practices in journals, documenting combat medical operations, and has impacted how medical platoons conduct pre-deployment medical training across the AMEDD."

According to Jenkins, one of Dalmar Jackson's most significant contributions to the AMEDD, was his ability to lead in the significant environment of change during the merging of Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the National Naval Medical Center.

"With the cultural merge of two of the largest flagships in military medicine, he led the organization's first documentation of performance planning to track clinical operational performance in a joint environment," said Jenkins.

For more information on the 02M3 and to see a list of all 02M3 members, go to ameddregiment.amedd.army.mil/merit/o2m3.html.