JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas (April 24, 2023) – Brooke Army Medical Center and the U.S. Army Institute for Surgical Research welcomed the Army Deputy Surgeon General, nearly 100 Civilian Assistants to the Secretary of the Army, Army Reserve Ambassadors, and university educators and administrators from around the country on April 18, as part of the Army Medicine Experience.
“The Army Medicine Experience is intended to help cultivate relationships among key stakeholders, including CASAs, ARAs, and university personnel to improve our contacts with crucial medical recruiting markets,” said Col. Katrina E. Walters, commander of the U.S. Army Medical Recruiting Brigade. “Bringing such a wide array of people together is both challenging and rewarding because they are able to bring in a variety of perspectives. They ask a lot of great questions and help us to formulate better ways to help them learn and then tell the story about Army Medicine to students, doctors, and other important community members they talk to when they get back home.”
Maj. Gen. George Appenzeller, Army deputy surgeon general, and Brig. Gen. Deydre Teyhen, BAMC’s commanding general, began the day by briefing the assembled group on both the Army and BAMC mission and vision. Afterward, Col. (Dr.) J. Brian Lanier, USAISR commander, discussed his command’s mission, capabilities, and talked about some of the many initiatives and research being conducted by his staff. Following the briefings, the group members visited areas within BAMC and spoke with staff.
“I found it to be incredibly exciting and interesting,” said Diedre Campbell, assistant director for pre-professional advising at Johns Hopkins University. “Being here allowed me the opportunity to learn a lot about Army medicine.”
Campbell said she has never been in the military and came into the visit with a negative preconceived notion, based on what several of her students have said. However, throughout the visit, she learned how incorrect those students are and how different Army medicine is from what she was led to believe. “I can’t wait to go back and talk to my students about the level of excellence I viewed here; the service to country and community that infuses everything and the drive for personal and professional development,” she said. “Now, I can go back to talk to them about how being in the military is about being your best self.”
Dr. Peter M. Tan, CASA for Florida (North), who was an Army Medical Education Department officer and commanded several military units throughout his career, said he is impressed with the level of collaboration and connection among the various departments within BAMC. He wants to share the fact that Army medicine is not only important but thriving, back to the leaders in his community.
“It is critical that we get our community talking about the people we have in our military,” Tan said. “It is also important that practitioners in the military get some exposure with their counterparts in the civilian world.” Tan stated the crossover will help ensure military members maintain their readiness and connection to the members of the communities they serve.
“The staff was incredible,” said Bill Crist, ARA for Oregon, who also served as an Army officer. “It’s been absolutely thrilling to observe the quality and absolute love of the Soldier from the general officer to the junior enlisted.” Crist values the chance to carry the Army Medicine message of service to military members, their families, retirees, and the community, out to leaders in his area of responsibility. He was particularly impressed by the integration of cutting-edge technology and invention at the Military Performance Lab at the Center for the Intrepid. “We don’t often get to see the quality of care that goes into taking care of our Soldiers.”
In addition to seeing the BAMC staff at work, members of the AME group also had the opportunity to visit other Army medical facilities in the San Antonio area later in the week. AME leaders said the visit was a success and thanked everyone in the JBSA community for their help in telling the Army Medicine story.
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