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METC Medical Logistics Team recognized for outstanding achievement

  • Published
  • By Lisa Braun
  • Medical Education and Training Campus Public Affairs
FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas --  In yet another triumph for the Medical Education and Training Campus (METC), the METC Medical Logistics Team is the recipient of the 2011 Association of Military Surgeons of the United States (AMSUS) Medical Logistics Award.

The award is among 21 military medical awards that recognize the outstanding achievements or exemplary service of a medical professional or a medical team, and will be presented at the AMSUS Banquet in San Antonio, Texas on November 9.

The purpose of the Medical Logistics Award is to recognize an organization, team or individual that has made significant contributions in medical acquisition or logistics, and has positively impacted mission accomplishment.

Building the program from the ground up, METC Logistics worked intensively since January 2010 to create a sound, supply-chain management program that would cater to the needs of the world's largest medical technical education institution and played a vital role in bringing METC to full operational capability (FOC) by the September 2011 deadline imposed by 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC).

BRAC directed the co-location of virtually all enlisted medical training to Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas with the potential of transitioning to a Tri-Service education and training effort.

"This AMSUS Award is a great accomplishment for the METC Logistics team," said Robbie Davis, METC Logistics Purchasing Lead. "As one of the first civilian 'Loggies' hired, it is a feeling of great pride to see how far we have come in such a short period of time. It has truly been a team effort and a great learning experience to have Army, Navy and Air Force working together and achieving this amazing goal!"

Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jumana Rafii, Non-Commissioned Officer-in-Charge of METC Acquisitions Management, agreed. "It's an honor for our account to be recognized as the 2011 AMSUS award winner! The pride & commitment to our organization within our staff is what allowed us to be victorious in building METC from the ground up. The unwavering support we received from JBSA allowed us to perform to our fullest capabilities."

The team managed the logistic and acquisition details for the consolidation of five major medical enlisted training programs for Navy, Air Force and Army from across the country that were relocated to Fort Sam Houston, Texas in accordance with the 2005 BRAC decision: the 882nd Training Group (TRG) at Sheppard Air Force Base; Naval School of Health Sciences (NSHS) in San Diego, Calif.; NSHS in Portsmouth, Va.; Navy Hospital Corps School (NHCS) in Great Lakes, Ill.; and Army Medical Department Center & School (AMEDD C&S) already at Fort Sam Houston.

The consolidation formed METC, a sprawling, state-of-the-art enlisted medical training center that encompasses 925,000 square feet of training area with a $1.2 billion price tag, employs nearly 1,500 instructors and support staff to facilitate more than 60 academic programs with a total annual training value of $200 million, and graduates 24,000 medics, corpsmen and techs each year - all supported by the METC Medical Logistics Team.

The team also deployed and tested a new logistics information system, maintained over $50 million in medical supply and equipment assets, built a supply catalog of over 20,000 line-items and set up hundreds of vendor sources to support the demands of the government purchase card program.

As a customer-focused program, METC Logistics developed training and provided tools to help educate their customers. Regular mass-supply and one-on-one supply custodian training is offered, as well as a Medical Logistics Customer Handbook and a quarterly logistics newsletter with useful information.

"Being a key member in establishing the Medical Education and Training Campus has been a rewarding experience," said Air Force Staff Sgt. Mayra Solis with METC's Medical Equipment Management Office. "It's a great recognition for the logistics team to be awarded the 2011 AMSUS award. As logisticians we did 'whatever it takes' to get this mission up and running to its full operational capability and continue to produce the world's finest medics, corpsmen, and techs."