AMLC partners with National Guard to keep medical devices full-time ready
Story by C.J. Lovelace
GAITHERSBURG, Md. – For the nation’s citizen-Soldiers, readiness can be a constant challenge.
Unlike their active-duty counterparts, Army National Guard units operate on a part-time basis, making it difficult to keep pace with the intensive maintenance requirements of complex, life-saving medical equipment.
It’s a critical gap that experienced technicians from U.S. Army Medical Logistics Command are uniquely positioned to fill.
Over two days in early April, a maintenance team from AMLC’s Medical Maintenance Operations Division at Tobyhanna Army Depot, Pennsylvania, or MMOD-PA, performed calibration and maintenance checks on over 130 devices in support of the Guard’s 224th Medical Company (Area Support) near Gaithersburg.
“The Maryland National Guard plays a vital role in our nation’s readiness and we’re proud to reinforce that mission through dependable medical maintenance support,” MMOD-PA Director William Wall said. “When their equipment is ready, their Soldiers are ready; and that’s what matters most.”
The 224th MCAS holds the largest medical inventory of Maryland Guard units, but relies on just two Soldiers who manage its vast and varied equipment, including vehicles and tools in addition to their primary responsibilities.
“Medical is complex and a lot different from other types of commodities,” said 1st Lt. Jaleh Ames, an evacuation platoon leader with the unit. “It’s a lot for them to do it just themselves, so we need as much support as we can.”
The support can be a game-changer, especially in the case of the 224th MCAS, a Role 2 medical unit that is preparing for an upcoming overseas deployment as part of its annual training requirement.
Compared to a Role 1, or initial battlefield care for Soldiers, Role 2 units act as a bridge between battlefield care and field hospitals, providing enhanced medical capabilities, including triage, trauma management and holding capabilities for patients.
MMOD-PA technicians Frank Cali and Rob Carter performed calibrations, function checks and other services on the unit’s inventory of devices, including patient monitors, defibrillators, imaging devices, steam sterilizers, dental sets and more.
For Staff Sgt. Amber Charles, the unit’s supply sergeant, the visit provided immediate and tangible relief as the unit prepares to deploy.
“Having this team here, it helps me clear a lot off my plate, making sure our equipment is good to go,” Charles said.
While the on-site work provides a crucial boost to maintenance metrics, Charles said it’s about more than just scores, especially as the 224th prepares to support a medical training exercise in Estonia alongside NATO partners.
“They’ve knocked out a lot of maintenance on our equipment … and all of this is going with us on our mission,” she said.
Cali understands the dynamic well. He sees the team’s role as more than just technical. They also serve as ambassadors for AMLC and its capabilities, building relationships and ensuring Guard units know how to request additional support when needed.
“I know this is a part-time job for a lot of people,” he said. “We’re just trying to verify the equipment is good and reliable, and when you put your name on that, you have a level of trust there that it will be used and perform adequately.”
AMLC, a major subordinate command of U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command, operates three stateside MMODs. Pending resourcing from the National Guard, MMOD-PA is postured to support Guard units throughout the northeastern U.S., while other sites in Utah and California aim to serve their respective geographical regions.
By bringing these services directly to the armories and motor pools of National Guard units across the country, AMLC can assist part-time units in maintaining full-time ready equipment.
“It makes you feel good that you can do that,” Cali reflected. “You’re supporting the agency, the Soldier and the mission as a whole. That’s really what it’s all about.”
