MHS Leadership March Message Published March 21, 2013 WASHINGTON -- Military Health System Team - The US National Security Strategy and the evolving environment of our Military Health System call for a commitment to develop leaders who are prepared and ready to meet our global healthcare mission. The Service SGs and DoD are committed to develop and maximize the potential of our military healthcare professionals, as force development is the foundation of all military and medical capability and success. The United States military produces leaders unrivaled by any other organization in the world. The first step in a deliberate process of leadership development is entry-level training for our military medics. Establishing the technical base required of our professionals of all ranks lays the groundwork for developing military healthcare leaders. Our joint training platforms answer the call to mentor our newest members as well as advance military medicine. By consolidating curricula, instructors, and students, we have adopted the highest standards from each of our services while becoming accustomed to the joint environment from the very beginning of the education, training, and professional development journey. The embodiment of this philosophy is the Medical Education and Training Campus (METC) on Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. This Tri-Service Campus has over 60 medical and dental programs with 24,000 graduates annually. Enlisted members from each branch of our armed forces begin their medical training here and many return to complete advanced courses later in their career. METC students receive consolidated joint training in the basics, and then more Service-specific training to support doctrinal missions if required. They graduate well prepared to support our nation's ability to engage globally as part of a joint military medical capability. Another great example of our successful joint, interdisciplinary healthcare education is the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences (USU). USU is the nation's only federal health sciences university and is committed to providing the Nation with professionals dedicated to career service in the Department of Defense and the US Public Health Service. USU provides our future military medical officers with medical degrees, graduate nursing degrees, or master's degrees in curricula that specialize in military medicine/nursing/dentistry, disaster medicine, medical readiness, public health, and research. In the 40 years since Congress established the University, many of its graduates have become military medical leaders and top-level specialists who have performed magnificently in garrison and at war. Developmental programs available to our officers, enlisted and civilian members include all levels of professional military education and career broadening opportunities. These Service-specific and DoD programs, if taken advantage of, offer significant potential to expand professional competencies and leadership ability. Complementing medical training and experience, these programs support the deliberate development of highly skilled professionals who are well prepared to lead and excel in an unstable world. In challenging times (and there will always be challenging times), the quality and caliber of MHS leadership can mean the difference between organizational/mission success and failure. By establishing a strong foundation at the beginning of a career, and then continually offering developmental opportunities throughout one's career, we are able to improve retention and grow successful commissioned, enlisted, and civilian leaders. We are committed to ensuring our leadership programs and educational opportunities are continuously improved in order to develop the medical professionals and executive leaders required to deliver the best health care and mission support to those we serve! Jonathan Woodson, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs LTG Patricia Horoho, Surgeon General, United States Army VADM Mathew Nathan, Surgeon General, United States Navy Lt Gen Thomas Travis, Surgeon General, United States Air Force