My Commitment to Remembering Our Veterans
As a Veteran and the 6th Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs at the National Cemetery Administration (NCA), I am deeply honored to serve America’s Veterans and their families. NCA is a world-class organization with a long-standing commitment to caring for Veterans and their families in perpetuity at our 135 VA national cemeteries. Every day we have the honor and privilege to fulfill President Lincoln’s promise, “to care for those who shall have borne the battle…” During my 27-years in uniform, I served with great men and women—dedicated patriots all. I think about them often. Some of them left this earth far too soon. I keep some of their pictures on my desk as a reminder of the bond we will always share and I continue to live and serve for them.
It has been said that we all die two deaths. The first, a physical one, and the second, the last time someone speaks our name. As Under Secretary, I am dedicated to ensuring that the names of our Veterans laid to rest in our VA national cemeteries, and those Veterans buried in state and tribal Veterans cemeteries around the country, are never forgotten for their service to our Nation. As long as we remember and continue to speak their names and share their stories, they are never truly gone. This is my commitment to the families and friends of loved ones now not with us.
Our Veterans represent the very best of our American citizenry. What is left to us, the living, is to honor them, their service, and their sacrifice. To learn more about how NCA memorializes Veterans, visit:
Veterans Legacy Program Website
When thinking of our duty and commitment to remember our Veterans, I am reminded of the words of the great Shawnee Chief Tecumseh, “Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people.” Making use of the time we have should, rightfully, be in service to the people and Veterans of this great Nation.
Randy Reeves
Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs
Click to view Randy Reeves' biography.
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"Maintenance key to medical device precision, accuracy" Military Health System in Washington, D.C., United States
"Maintenance key to medical device precision, accuracy" Military Health System in Washington, D.C., United States
Maintenance key to medical device precision, accuracyA technician assigned to the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Agency's Medical Maintenance Operations Division-Tracy works on a piece of equipment in the depot's special purpose test, measurement and diagnostics equipment lab. (U.S. Army photo by Ellen Crown) by: Ellen Crown
A baby in an incubator – that was the image that Army engineering technician Tyler Dowell recalled as he described the importance of the mission at the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Agency's Medical Maintenance Operations Division-Tracy.
A former instructor had showed Dowell and the other students a photo of a newborn in an incubator, born not only prematurely but also into a war-torn country. The incubator saved the newborn's life; an incubator that the instructor, an Army medical maintenance specialist, had recently calibrated to ensure its temperature, humidity and alarming systems worked exactly as designed.
"It's not about the item we touch, it's about the patient that uses it," said Curtis Randolph, chief of MMOD-Tracy.
MMOD-Tracy, located on Defense Distribution Depot San Joaquin, California, is one of three stateside medical maintenance depots that operate under the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Agency, a subordinate organization of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command. In addition to providing maintenance for medical imaging equipment, MMOD-Tracy serves as the Center of Excellence for special purpose test, measurement and diagnostics equipment (TMDE).
Special purpose TMDE is an essential part of Army readiness because it provides the capability to test, repair, adjust, synchronize and verify accuracy of life-saving medical equipment worldwide. Each TMDE item requires a separate calibration procedure and traceability requirement, guided by national and international standards. In fiscal year 2017, MMOD-Tracy serviced more than 2,000 pieces of special purpose TMDE, operating in partnership with the U.S. Army Test, Measurement, and Diagnostic Equipment Activity (USATA), which has the primary organizational responsibility of performing the TMDE calibration and repair support mission for the Army.
"The test equipment that we do here is actually specific to medical devices, whereas test equipment calibrated by USATA would be for calibrating things used on helicopters, tanks, weapons, etc. – different parts of the Army," explained Dowell, who is also an Army Reservist.
Over the past year, MMOD-Tracy has been modernizing its TMDE lab to make their processes more efficient. Randolph said they have managed to speed up their through-put, which was more than 30 days and is now an average of seven days. Turning the equipment around faster not only saves the Army time and money, but it also means that the Soldier in the field who needs the piece of equipment gets it faster.
"The staff's competency continues to increase because they know what we are doing and why we are doing it," said Randolph.
Disclaimer: Re-published content may have been edited for length and clarity. Read original post.
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