MEDCoE’s new Ready and Resilience Council finds support throughout JBSA

By Tish Williamson,October 5, 2020

Maj. Gen. Dennis LeMaster, Commanding General MEDCoE, addresses the audience at the U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence Ready and Resilient Council meeting, where various Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA) installation programs and mission partners shared how they can help play a role in combating the unit corrosives. There were presentations from the JBSA Military and Family Readiness Center, Vogel Resiliency Center, Army Wellness Center, R2 Performance Center, Family Advocacy, Suicide Prevention, Substance Abuse Prevention, and Risk Reduction programs. Brooke Army Medical Center Behavioral Health Services also spoke about the services they provide.
1 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Maj. Gen. Dennis LeMaster, Commanding General MEDCoE, addresses the audience at the U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence Ready and Resilient Council meeting, where various Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA) installation programs and mission partners shared how they can help play a role in combating the unit corrosives. There were presentations from the JBSA Military and Family Readiness Center, Vogel Resiliency Center, Army Wellness Center, R2 Performance Center, Family Advocacy, Suicide Prevention, Substance Abuse Prevention, and Risk Reduction programs. Brooke Army Medical Center Behavioral Health Services also spoke about the services they provide. (Photo Credit: Jose Rodriguez) VIEW ORIGINAL
During the inaugural U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence Ready and Resilient Council meeting, various Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA) installation programs and mission partners shared how they can help play a role in combating the unit corrosives.  There were presentations from the JBSA Military and Family Readiness Center, Vogel Resiliency Center, Army Wellness Center, R2 Performance Center, Family Advocacy, Suicide Prevention, Substance Abuse Prevention, and Risk Reduction programs.  Brooke Army Medical Center Behavioral Health Services also spoke about the services they provide.
2 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – During the inaugural U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence Ready and Resilient Council meeting, various Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA) installation programs and mission partners shared how they can help play a role in combating the unit corrosives. There were presentations from the JBSA Military and Family Readiness Center, Vogel Resiliency Center, Army Wellness Center, R2 Performance Center, Family Advocacy, Suicide Prevention, Substance Abuse Prevention, and Risk Reduction programs. Brooke Army Medical Center Behavioral Health Services also spoke about the services they provide. (Photo Credit: Jose Rodriguez) VIEW ORIGINAL
During the inaugural U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence Ready and Resilient Council meeting, various Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA) installation programs and mission partners shared how they can help play a role in combating the unit corrosives.  There were presentations from the JBSA Military and Family Readiness Center, Vogel Resiliency Center, Army Wellness Center, R2 Performance Center, Family Advocacy, Suicide Prevention, Substance Abuse Prevention, and Risk Reduction programs.  Brooke Army Medical Center Behavioral Health Services also spoke about the services they provide.
3 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – During the inaugural U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence Ready and Resilient Council meeting, various Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA) installation programs and mission partners shared how they can help play a role in combating the unit corrosives. There were presentations from the JBSA Military and Family Readiness Center, Vogel Resiliency Center, Army Wellness Center, R2 Performance Center, Family Advocacy, Suicide Prevention, Substance Abuse Prevention, and Risk Reduction programs. Brooke Army Medical Center Behavioral Health Services also spoke about the services they provide. (Photo Credit: Jose Rodriguez) VIEW ORIGINAL
During the inaugural U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence Ready and Resilient Council meeting, various Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA) installation programs and mission partners shared how they can help play a role in combating the unit corrosives.  There were presentations from the JBSA Military and Family Readiness Center, Vogel Resiliency Center, Army Wellness Center, R2 Performance Center, Family Advocacy, Suicide Prevention, Substance Abuse Prevention, and Risk Reduction programs.  Brooke Army Medical Center Behavioral Health Services also spoke about the services they provide.
4 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – During the inaugural U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence Ready and Resilient Council meeting, various Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA) installation programs and mission partners shared how they can help play a role in combating the unit corrosives. There were presentations from the JBSA Military and Family Readiness Center, Vogel Resiliency Center, Army Wellness Center, R2 Performance Center, Family Advocacy, Suicide Prevention, Substance Abuse Prevention, and Risk Reduction programs. Brooke Army Medical Center Behavioral Health Services also spoke about the services they provide. (Photo Credit: Jose Rodriguez) VIEW ORIGINAL
During the inaugural U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence Ready and Resilient Council meeting, various Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA) installation programs and mission partners shared how they can help play a role in combating the unit corrosives.  There were presentations from the JBSA Military and Family Readiness Center, Vogel Resiliency Center, Army Wellness Center, R2 Performance Center, Family Advocacy, Suicide Prevention, Substance Abuse Prevention, and Risk Reduction programs.  Brooke Army Medical Center Behavioral Health Services also spoke about the services they provide.
5 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – During the inaugural U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence Ready and Resilient Council meeting, various Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA) installation programs and mission partners shared how they can help play a role in combating the unit corrosives. There were presentations from the JBSA Military and Family Readiness Center, Vogel Resiliency Center, Army Wellness Center, R2 Performance Center, Family Advocacy, Suicide Prevention, Substance Abuse Prevention, and Risk Reduction programs. Brooke Army Medical Center Behavioral Health Services also spoke about the services they provide. (Photo Credit: Jose Rodriguez) VIEW ORIGINAL
Audience members listen to presentations during the MEDCoE Ready and Resilience Council meeting.
6 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Audience members listen to presentations during the MEDCoE Ready and Resilience Council meeting. (Photo Credit: Jose Rodriguez) VIEW ORIGINAL

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas–The U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence, or MEDCoE, conducted their inaugural Ready and Resilience Council, or R2C, meeting on September 21, 2020. The meeting, chaired by Maj. Gen. Dennis LeMaster, MEDCoE Commander, consisted of key leaders from all subordinate commands throughout MEDCoE down to the company level, key special staff, and various Joint Base San Antonio mission partners who play a role in combating organizational issues and concerns that affect Soldier readiness.

The event was held in Blesse Auditorium, a large auditorium, using control measures like social distancing and masks to mitigate risk of the 2019 Coronavirus. To kick off the meeting, Col. Caryn Vernon, MEDCoE G3, outlined why the R2C construct plays a vital role in the readiness of our Soldiers and the success of our training mission.

“The MEDCoE Ready and Resilience Council is an important entity that will advocate for the health, safety, and readiness of the total force,” said Vernon. “This group of leaders, some resident to the MEDCoE and others from across the installation, will identify needs and concerns across the MEDCoE, make recommendations, share best practices, and assess the strengths and weaknesses of our current health promotion initiatives and programs.”

The focus of the MEDCoE R2C is on the Army’s “three corrosives”: suicide, racism/extremism, and sexual assault/harassment. Vernon explained, “The group will examine how the health, readiness, and spiritual fitness of the force lessen the effects of the corrosives and determine the best ways to combat them before they may erode the organization.”

The intent of the inaugural R2C meeting was to introduce the mission, purpose, current proposed membership, and general construct of the council. Organizational leadership at all the levels were afforded the opportunity to see the importance being placed by Army Senior Leaders on issues and trends surrounding the “three corrosives.” Also during the meeting, various installation programs and mission partners shared how they can help play a role in combating the unit corrosives. There were presentations from the JBSA Military and Family Readiness Center, Vogel Resiliency Center, Army Wellness Center, R2 Performance Center, Family Advocacy, Suicide Prevention, Substance Abuse Prevention, and Risk Reduction programs. Brooke Army Medical Center Behavioral Health Services also spoke about the services they provide.

Vernon explained that the proposed attendees for the R2C meetings, that are expected to occur at least monthly, were originally battalion level leadership and above, key special staff and an assortment of installation mission partners. During the event, however, LeMaster suggested that the meeting should be more inclusive and extended the invitation to company leadership and outside agencies on a recurring basis, not just for the inaugural event.

During the event, LeMaster also discussed each of the corrosives in detail. He said the initiation of the MEDCoE R2C, which had been in the design phase for weeks, is timely as September was Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month.

“The Army is well above the number of suicides this year than it was last year; that fact should be absolutely gut wrenching to all of us,” said LeMaster. “It is imperative that we do better, and I cannot overstate the importance of engaged leaders.”

The meeting also featured a presentation by the 32d Medical Brigade Commander, Col. Wesley Anderson, on the proposed suicide mitigation plan for the MEDCoE’s training brigade, currently the largest training brigade in the Army’s inventory.

The Suicide Prevention, or “A Life Worth Living,” Working Group, led by Lt. Col. Valeria Van Dress, MEDCoE Command Chaplain, is one of the three working groups within the MEDCoE R2C. The others are the Sexual Harassment and Assault Working Group lead by Mr. Curtis L. Warren, MEDCoE Sexual Harassment Assault Response Prevention Program Manager, and the Diversity and Inclusion Working Group, led by Cpt. Chad Beach.

Each working group is intended to align with one of the “three corrosives” in an effort to draft and implement organizational initiatives for addressing and mitigating the effects the corrosives are having within the organization. MEDCoE R2C working group leads will update MEDCoE leaders monthly on the status of current initiatives and elevate trends they are seeing in an effort to remain proactive in the fight against the problem areas.

Beach, who is also the MEDCoE R2C Coordinator, in addition to being a working group lead, said, “The MEDCoE meetings are intended to be the forum where we can talk about the hard topics and issues that our plaguing our organization so we can bring them to light and begin to remedy them with the assistance of both internal and external resources.” He believes the first meeting event helped highlight, not only the resources available to leadership on the installation, but also how internal resources are arrayed to ensure full coverage and support of the entire formation.

To conclude the event, Cmd. Sgt. Major Clark Charpentier, MEDCoE Command Sergeant Major, thanked R2C members and JBSA partners for coming together for the council.

“To our partners who are here today, all of you bring something to the table that will help us be successful in support of our Soldiers through each working group in the long term.” He expressed the importance of knowing exactly what resources are available locally and nationally to support readiness and resilience efforts. He explained how leaders and Soldiers at all levels also play a crucial role in fighting each of the corrosives by showing an interest in a Soldier’s mental well-being as well as their physical well-being.

“The seemingly small things that we do each and every day to let Soldiers know they are important and valued show them that their mental health is equally important, and frankly vital, to overall readiness,” said Charpentier. He believes that the success of the R2C in each of the areas depends on promoting open and honest dialogue coupled with tangible or visible actions that ensure everyone is treated with dignity and respect.

“It is about fostering that culture of trust in words and deeds,” Charpentier concluded.

To learn more about U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence programs and initiatives, visit www.medcoe.army.mil.