USAMMC-K commander wins ROK’s Michaelis Award, credits teamwork during COVID-19

By C.J. LovelaceNovember 17, 2021

Lt. Col. Perkins
Lt. Col. Marcus D. Perkins, commander of the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Center-Korea, has been selected as this year’s Republic of Korea (ROK) Army Michaelis Award winner. The award recognizes commanders and their organization that have made significant contributions to enhancing the ROK-U.S. alliance through positive relationships. (Photo Credit: Courtesy photo) VIEW ORIGINAL

CAMP CARROLL, South Korea -- Lt. Col. Marcus D. Perkins, commander of the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Center-Korea, has been selected as this year’s Republic of Korea (ROK) Army Michaelis Award winner.

Perkins is the first representative from USAMMC-K to receive the honor. He has served as commander since June 2020.

“This award might be given to me as the commander, but it was earned by the entire USAMMC-K workforce,” Perkins said. “I’ve been in some truly talented organizations over my 25 years of service, but none of them could top the talent within this organization.”

USAMMC-K, a direct reporting unit to Army Medical Logistics Command, provides direct medical materiel support to theater medical forces, ensures and assists tactical units are integrated into the end-to-end medical supply chain and assists the combatant commands in health logistics support planning.

The Michaelis Award was established in 2013 to commemorate the service of John H. Michaelis, a retired four-star general, during the Korean War and celebrate the allied victory. Michaelis served as the Combined Forces Command commander from October 1969 to August 1972.

The award, signed by the ROK Army’s chief of staff, recognizes commanders and their organization that have made significant contributions to enhancing the ROK-U.S. alliance through positive relationships.

The award will be presented at USAMMC-K’s Lunar New Year dinner on Jan. 21, 2022.

In winning the award, Perkins credited USAMMC-K’s ability to adapt and work together with its Korean partners to protect the force during the COVID-19 pandemic response since early 2020. The center served as a hub for distribution and redistribution of personal protective equipment and vaccines.

“When we were asked to step up and do what some thought was nearly impossible, we made it happen,” he said. “The organization worked through every phase of COVID to ensure the joint force received the medical materiel required to protect, test and immunize the force.”

Perkins said the USAMMC-K team has continued to meet the COVID-19 challenge head on, which has helped the team grow together as well.

“Adversity and challenges build and test teams,” he said. “This team has been taking care of one another and the force over the last 20 months. I am just fortunate enough to have been selected to command it.”