U.S. ARMY GARRISON HUMPHREYS, PYEOUNGTAEK, SOUTH KOREA -- The 65th Medical Brigade commander, Col. Derek Cooper, presided over the 128th cycle graduation of the Integrated Service of Republic of Korea Military Health Care Personnel Program July 10 at the U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys Freedom Chapel.
During his opening remarks, Cooper highlighted the interoperability, professionalism and cultural understanding of the ROK/U.S. medical alliance.
"As we move forward to sustain our future here on the peninsula, by providing health care professionals to our organizations and medical units, it is programs such as this that keep our medical alliance strong and ready," Cooper said.
The ISRMHCPP was established in 1955 to facilitate wartime coordination between the U.S. and ROK military health care support system in the event of hostilities.
ROK army officers work with their U.S. counterparts for six months, sharing expertise and increasing cultural understanding while gaining an appreciation of the U.S. military and its' health care system. More than 500 students, including veterinarians, physicians, dentists, nurses and medical corps officers have graduated from this mutually beneficial program and gone on to serve distinguished careers in both the military and civilian sectors in the Republic of Korea.
Cooper's remarks echoed the continued success of the program.
"For over 64 years this program has stood as a testament to the talents of our Soldiers, both Korean and American, and serves as a sterling symbol of the vigorous ROK/U.S. alliance. We are proud to associate with them and will always recognize them as colleagues and friends. Their charge upon reassignment back to the ROK forces is to share the lessons learned with their colleagues in the ROK Armed Forces Medical System."
Brig. Gen. Byungseop Choi, Surgeon General of the ROK Army, was the honored guest speaker who congratulated the graduates on their development towards an increased partnership of the ROK/U.S. medical alliance.
"This class has served in a variety of fields throughout the 65th Medical Brigade, resulting in increased contributions toward a stronger armed forces medical command," said Choi. "For the past six decades, this program's graduates have contributed to improvements of our combined medical capabilities."
"Their work and service makes us all better health care providers and better Soldiers as we learned as much from them as they learned from us and I thank them for their contribution to our success," said Cooper.
The 128th cycle graduation ceremony graduates and where they worked were:
Capt. Jun Seon Hwang, ROKA Medical Service Corps, served with the Brigade S3 Operations Section; Capt. Yu Ri Jo, ROKA Medical Service Corps, served with the Brigade S3 CLINOPS Section; Capt. Ju Yeon Park, ROKA Medical Service Corps, served with the USAMMC-K and Brigade S-4 Logistics; Maj. Sung Won Lee, ROKA Nurse Corps, served with the 121 CSH and Brian Allgood Army Community Hospital Multi-Care Unit; Capt. Hyo Jin Yang, ROKA Nurse Corps, served with the 121 CSH and Brian Allgood Army Community Hospital Operation Department; and Capt. Eun Hye Park, ROKA Nurse Corps, served with the 121 CSH and Brian Allgood Army Community Hospital Emergency Department.
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