ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY

As the Army prepares to face growing global threats, its trauma and skills initiatives will ensure that troops are healthy enough to sustain the fight, senior military medical experts said. 

In particular, the next conflict will require troops to be much more dispersed and mobile and an Army medical force that is ready to follow suit, said Col. Jason Seery, trauma surgery consultant to the Army surgeon general. 

The ability to quickly return to duty wounded or sick soldiers in a multidomain operations environment will be one of the top priorities for Army medical personnel, a senior medical officer said.

Lt. Gen. Gary Brito, the Army deputy chief of staff for personnel, said having a people-friendly force that gives soldiers occasional time off isn’t a bad thing.

Speaking Dec. 7 at an Association of the U.S. Army Hot Topic focused on medical care, the Army G-1 said recruiting and retaining a volunteer Army and making certain the force is ready for combat requires keep soldiers’ lives in mind.

“Don’t confuse taking care of our people, whether through medical issues or other efforts, with being soft,” Brito said. 

The Army surgeon general said he’s both “incredibly proud” and concerned about the Army medical community, one that is hardworking and dedicated but on the cusp of big changes. 

Speaking Dec. 7 at an Association of the U.S. Army Medical Hot Topic titled “Holistic Health and the Soldier,” Lt. Gen. R. Scott Dingle said it is important that troops have confidence “to do things a normal man would not do” because they can depend on Army medicine to look out for them. 

Registration is open for the Association of the U.S. Army’s Hot Topic event Dec. 7. 

“Holistic Health and the Soldier: An Army Medical Hot Topic” is an in-person, daylong event that will take place at AUSA headquarters in Arlington, Virginia.

Throughout the day, attendees will be able to participate in a professional dialog with Army leaders, industry and academia as they explore Army medicine’s support of the service’s operational missions and readiness.

The Army is seeing an uptick in interest as more people get vaccinated against COVID-19, a senior Army medical leader said.

“We have people from previous tiers in the schema that have come forward to get vaccinations, and we believe that that’s due in large part to the education and the materials we put out,” said Maj. Gen. Jill Faris, interim deputy chief of staff for operations for Army Medical Command.

The Army is working tirelessly to help the nation fight COVID-19—and it still has a way to go, according to Army Medicine’s top general.

“I've been able to witness firsthand how our Army medical professionals have worked to ensure that we have healthy soldiers, healthy workplaces and healthy communities across the nation,” Lt. Gen. R. Scott Dingle, Army surgeon general, said Oct. 14 during a media roundtable at AUSA Now, the 2020 virtual annual meeting of the Association of the U.S. Army. 

Despite spending millions on recruiting, educating and training almost 15,000 active-duty physicians and dentists every year, the Defense Department continues to face challenges retaining personnel in some key specialties, partly because of pay, according to a new report.

Consolidation and reform of the military health care system remains a priority for Congress.

In a report accompanying the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, negotiators who worked on the bill said they “are aware of a lack of consensus in the [Defense] Department on implementing the reforms required by law but see no reason to change direction.”