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Family of Service – (Left to Right) Angela, Natasha and Keith Davis during their time in the U.S. Army. Keith and Angela met while both stationed in Germany in the 1970s. Their daughter, Natasha, was inspired to follow in her parent’s footsteps, spending 20 years in uniform as a combat medic before retiring in 2017. Today, Natasha serves as Program Coordinator with the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Development Activity’s Warfighter Brain Health Project Management Office at Fort Detrick, Md. (Photo Courtesy of Natasha Davis/Released)
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Then Sgt. Natasha Davis (3rd from the left, second row) with her fellow Soldiers from Company C, 725th Maintenance Support Battalion, deployed in Uzbekistan, 2004. Today, Davis serves as Program Coordinator with the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Development Activity’s Warfighter Brain Health Project Management Office at Fort Detrick, Md. (Photo Courtesy of Natasha Davis/Released)
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Official photo of then Sgt. 1st Class Natasha Davis during her time in the U.S. Army, 2015. Today, Davis serves as Program Coordinator with the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Development Activity’s Warfighter Brain Health Project Management Office at Fort Detrick, Md. (Photo Courtesy of Natasha Davis/Released)
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The Sgt. Natasha Davis during her time at Forward Operating Base Orgun-E, Paktika Province, Afghanistan, Oct. 2004. Today, Davis serves as Program Coordinator with the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Development Activity’s Warfighter Brain Health Project Management Office at Fort Detrick, Md. (Photo Courtesy of Natasha Davis/Released)
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Natasha Davis has Army green running through her veins. Born in Frankfurt, Germany to Angela and Keith, both Army Veterans, Davis wanted to carry on the family tradition – she enlisted in October 1997 as a Combat Medic, inspired by her parent’s service and the opportunities Army service can provide. “I was born overseas in Germany and had dual citizenship until I turned 18,” said Davis, currently the Program Coordinator for the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Development Activity’s (USAMMDA) Warfighter Brain Health (WBH) Project Management Office at Fort Detrick, Md. “I joined the military because I see what the military offered my parents and I wanted help make a difference. Another reason was to get out of my parents’ house and get out on my own.” After 20 years in uniform, which Davis retired in 2017, carrying the lessons of Army service with her into the civilian world – these lessons prepared her well for her current duties with USAMMDA. “As the mission for the Warfighter changes, so do the technologies that they need on the battlefield,” said Davis, who was raised in Columbia, S.C. “Every lesson you learn in life can be used in different stages of your life. In the Army we carried aid bags on the battlefield, [which] had most of the instruments and medications need to help the Soldier on the battlefield. The aid bag is like a toolkit. My toolkit now helps me to ‘tactical’ the day here at USAMMDA.” The physical aid bag Davis carried with her during her 2004-2005 deployment at Forward Operating Base Orgun-E in Afghanistan’s Paktika Province is not unlike the mental aid bag she carries with her today as part of USAMMDA. The internal toughness developed during 20 years in uniform, as a medic, Health Care Specialist and Equal Opportunity Advisor, shines through as she reflects on her career, and what she and other Veterans offer in their continued public service. “Veterans having the opportunity to continue to serve once leaving uniform is important,” said Davis, who recently earned her Master of Health Care Management degree from American Intercontinental University. “The Army taught me to be a servant leader. Servant leadership is a style based on the desire to serve and give back to your community. All of the knowledge that [I learned] the military gave to me, and now I get to use that knowledge to help the Warfighter on the battlefield. That gives me great joy.” (Official U.S. Army Photo by T. T. Parish/Released)
(Photo Credit: T. T. Parish)VIEW ORIGINAL
February is Black History Month, a time to recognize the extraordinary contributions of Black Americans to the U.S. Army and the Nation. Today, roughly 90,000 Black Americans serve on Active Duty in the U.S. Army, with an additional 39,000 who serve in the Army Reserves and 52,000 in the Army National Guard.
At the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Development Activity USAMMDA, Black Americans – Active-Duty Soldiers, Veterans, Army civilians and contractors – contribute each day to the mission of developing and delivering medical devices, technologies and treatments for America’s Warfighters.
For Sgt. 1st Class Natasha Davis, U.S. Army, retired, Black History Month is a time to reflect on her career in service to the Nation, including 20 years in uniform and now as a Program Coordinator with USAMMDA’s Warfighter Brain Health Project Management Office at Fort Detrick, Maryland.
Davis, born in Germany, has a family history of Army Service. Her parents, Keith and Angela Davis, met while Soldiers stationed in Germany in the 1970s. After 20 years as an Army combat medic with deployments across the world – including Afghanistan in 2004 – as a mom and as a woman, Davis has a unique and authoritative perspective on the importance of highlighting and encouraging diversity in the ranks, starting with Black History Month.
“The significance of the struggle for racial and gender equality in politics, the economy, and social development is recognized during Black History Month,” said Davis, who was born in Frankfurt but calls Columbia, South Carolina her hometown. “Black History Month serves as an opportunity to consider the numerous accomplishments of African Americans in the past. We must never let the significance of those who came before us wane as we advance toward equality, keeping in mind the significance of Black History Month, and paying tribute to all those who have fought for the dignity of all men and women.”
Davis, who retired in 2017 after 20 years in service, originally joined the Army to carry on the family tradition of service and to take advantage of the benefits Army service offers. As an African American Veteran currently helping refine health care technologies, treatments and devices for the Joint-Forces, Davis has learned the importance of leadership by example and, also, the unifying strength a diverse force fosters.
“The Army taught me to be a servant leader,” said Davis. “Having a diverse Army organization allows the USAMMDA to be valuable. A diverse force united in a common mission results in an organization that is stronger and more effective to the Warfighter they are serving.”
For Davis, who carries a smile and a no-nonsense demeanor with her wherever she goes, teamwork is key to the mission of her WBH colleagues and USAMMDA as a whole. The key to teamwork is the understanding that diversity, in all its shapes and forms, is key to the mission focus and collaborative effort that drives her personal and professional lives.
“Diversity enables people from different backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives to connect, enhancing the strength of the Army,” she said. “In a team there are many people, and every person has an opinion and that adds value to the team. Remember that teamwork is not about one person. Keeping everyone involved fosters a spirit of teamwork. Diversity is not always about color. Diversity is where they are from, how they were brought up, and many other factors. There are so many people and cultures blended together [and that makes] USAMMDA a great place to work.”
For more information about the incredible contributions African Americans have made – and continue to make – to the U.S. Army, visit https://www.army.mil/blackamericans/.
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