Speaking at an Institute for Land Warfare Contemporary Military Forum titled “The Army Medical Plan – Supporting Warriors in Transition” at the Association of the United States Army’s Annual Meeting and Exposition, the officers described the progress made in the AMAP, which was developed as a result of critical media scrutiny of soldier care at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and other Army medical facilities.

As a result of the AMAP process, the Army identified 150 things about medical care that needed to be changed, Brig. Gen. Michael Tucker, the deputy commander of North Atlantic Regional Medical Command, said.

These were things like allowing people who were not the soldier’s blood relatives to participate in the Army’s treatment program and allowing soldiers to wear their old unit patches while they recovered, something that they found helped morale, Tucker said.

Nineteen of those changes required new legislation by Congress, but all 150 items are being implemented, he said.

One of the most dramatic changes in army medicine is the establishment of Warrior Transition Units (WTUs).

Wounded soldiers will be assigned to these units, which will have a unique command structure and emphasize that even wounded soldiers have a mission: to get better.

There will be 32 WTUs of various sizes, mainly companies and battalions, at various stations and bases that will replace the current medical hold units.

In addition, a Warrior Transition Battalion is being established at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

That unit reached initial operating capability in September and should be fully manned by January, Tucker said.

The Army has over 10,000 injured soldiers on its active duty rolls, effectively taking up spots in the total end strength, so the Army needs to make sure those soldiers are treated as “efficiently” as possible, he said.

“The soldiers have a mission – to heal, and healing becomes their job. So it’s important the people recognize that it’s their job to make their appointments, take their medication,” Tucker said.

The smallest level of the units will be a squad of 12 soldiers “commanded” by a staff sergeant.

That commander will help each soldier keep doctor’s appointments, remember to take medicine and deal with bureaucratic problems.

This will be a significant improvement over the current system, where a single part-time leader will manage the treatment of up to 50 wounded soldiers, Col. Terrence McKenrick, deputy commander of the Army Physical Disability Agency, said.

In addition, a primary care manager at the company level and a registered nurse case manager will monitor each soldier’s treatment.

Those three people will meet weekly to discuss each soldier’s treatment and will form a “triad” that will ensure a high level of personal care, McKenrick said.