Army

The Quarterly National Guard Commander’s Update Brief (NG CUB), held at Fort Shafter, Hawaii, on November 14, 2024, highlights a vital effort to synchronize National Guard activities with the strategic objectives of U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC) and the Indo-Pacific Command.

USARPAC Commanding General Gen. Ronald P. Clark’s engagement with Army National Guard leaders during this forum exemplifies the collaborative focus on regional security and operational readiness in the Pacific Theater.

USARPAC Deputy Commanding General for Mobilization and Reserve Affairs Maj. Gen. Lance A. Okamura stated that the NG Cub serves as an opportunity for National Guard states involved in the State Partnership Program (SPP) to share updates on their operations, activities, and investments (OAIs) and Key Leader Engagements (KLEs).

These updates allow for critical two-way communication, aligning state-level efforts with USARPAC’s strategic goals and ensuring a unified approach to security challenges and partnership-building efforts in the region.

“General Clark’s active participation underscores the importance of strong collaboration between the National Guard and USARPAC to enhance regional security. By engaging directly with state Senior Leaders, the forum facilitates open communication, fosters mutual understanding, and ensures that National Guard operations are harmonized with Indo-Pacific strategic initiatives,” said Okamura.

These efforts directly support the Theater Army’s goals of deterring adversaries, improving regional cooperation, and maintaining a decisive positional advantage in the Pacific.

The NG CUB also emphasizes the critical role of the SPP in building and maintaining partnerships with Indo-Pacific nations. Through joint training exercises, exchanges, and cooperative engagements, the SPP enables National Guard units to enhance the capacity of partner nations, promoting stability and strengthening alliances. This collaborative approach is vital for generating and applying military capabilities that contribute to regional resilience and deter aggression.

The robust participation in the November forum, including senior leaders from Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, and Washington, alongside representatives from all 11 states and territories with Pacific partnerships, highlights the increasing importance of these engagements.

The National Guard’s diverse presence across the Pacific underscores its unique ability to connect the U.S. with its regional partners, fostering trust and cooperation that bolster collective security.

SEMBACH, Germany – Every year, U.S. Army NATO holds a training and leader development event to facilitate mandatory readiness and training requirements for U.S. Army exchange officers assigned to 38 isolated locations in seven European countries.

“The Military Personnel Exchange Program is a strategic initiative designed to support U.S. Army security cooperation efforts, strengthen alliances, and enhance defense cooperation,” said Max Ivulich, U.S. Army NATO G9 chief. “MPEP aims to build partner capacity, maintain relationships with allies and coalition partners, and integrate U.S. and partner nation military personnel at the unit level.

“Additionally, the program provides a framework for bilateral exchanges of military personnel, preparing officers and NCOs for future multinational operations.”

U.S. Army Sgt. Maj. Alex Burnett, who works as an instructor for noncommissioned officer education in Ermelo, Netherlands, as part of an exchange between the Royal Netherlands Army and the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy, participated in the training and development event for the second time Nov. 4-8.

“This is a great chance for all of us MPEPs who are away and in very remote locations to come together, complete the training that we need, but also exchange ideas and lessons learned from our time as exchange officers and NCOs,” said Burnett.

“I think this is a great initiative that U.S. Army NATO brigade puts on every single year, bringing us all together,” he said. “We all serve the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and we’re all working to make our host nation militaries and NATO better.”

To achieve these goals, MPEP participants are assigned to foreign armies in remote locations, often without the support of U.S. military posts that provide many of the same types of services expected from any small city in the United States.

“Their tours may vary from two to three years within a given country,” said Ivulich. “The unique nature of these tours and the challenges they present necessitates annual training conferences. These gatherings serve multiple purposes.

“First, they provide a platform for mandatory Army training to keep MPEP participants current on essential skills and knowledge.

“Second, the conferences allow for in-depth interviews with program managers to assess the alignment of participant assignments with broader strategic objectives. Based on these assessments, adjustments may be made to ranks, skill specialties, or locations to optimize the value of the exchange to both nations.

“Finally, these conferences offer invaluable networking opportunities, bringing together MPEP participants from across Europe to exchange tactics, techniques, and procedures,” said Ivulich.

Burnett agreed with Ivulich.

“My favorite part of the exchange program conference, is the same as most conferences that I go to, which is the networking, the ability to talk to somebody who’s in a very similar situation, who’s dealing with maybe some of the same issues that I am, or they’re seeing a complication within their host nation military that I do as well, and the ability to talk it out and to come up with some creative solutions, or at least network with somebody who’s going through the same thing,” said Burnett.

An issue that was discussed at length during the conference was getting settled in to a new location and finding the support and services necessary for Soldiers and their families to thrive in an isolated environment.

“My first bit of advice for a Soldier who finds out they’re going to become an exchange personnel within this program is try to reach out and find out who you’re replacing,” said Burnett. “The earlier you get to ask questions, the earlier you get to hear the ground truth of what your position looks like.

“That’s the best way to prepare yourself to eventually come over here, live alone and work with a foreign military,” he said. “And I think that this particular conference is a great opportunity for all of us to come together and learn how we can do better and how we can improve this organization.”

U.S. Army NATO provides support to 60 MPEP Soldiers and their families at locations in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and the United Kingdom.

FORT DETRICK, Md. – The International Society of Burn Injuries recently announced that it has appointed Dr. Kaitlin Pruskowski, a clinical pharmacist with the Medical Research and Development Command’s Institute of Surgical Research, to serve as a member of its Research Committee. Dr. Pruskowski is one of three Americans on the 18-member committee, and the sole pharmacist.

“I’m honored to be appointed to this committee,” says Pruskowski. “I’m a relatively early career practitioner, and I’m very appreciative that my esteemed colleagues from around the world recognize my contributions to burns and burn care. I’m really excited to be serving alongside them on this committee and by the opportunities that this appointment will provide for me to not only work with these colleagues, but to learn from them as well.”

The two-year appointment will provide Pruskowski with the opportunity to build relationships with veteran burn care specialists from around the world, as well as to learn about the latest innovations in burn prevention, treatment and rehabilitation that can inform future research at ISR.

Founded in 1960, the ISBI develops and disseminates burn care guidelines and promotes burn education, advocacy and training in an effort to improve the quality of care around the world. The mission of the research committee is to help ISBI members disseminate research findings and ideas in order to foster international collaboration.

Pruskowski says that, as a clinical pharmacist specializing in burn critical care, she brings a perspective that complements the experience of the physicians, surgeons and occupational therapists who will be serving on the committee with her.

“Much of the emphasis in burn care is on immediate treatment and surgery, but as a pharmacist my focus is mainly on what happens afterward,” says Pruskowski. “We don’t necessarily dose medications in a burn patient the same way we would for a non-trauma patient. For day-to-day care of a burn patient, my focus is on optimizing medication doses and delivery methods, and drug interactions. We also manage pain and delirium, sedation and complications such as stress ulcers and infections. This brings a unique perspective to the design of future burn studies.”

Pruskowski earned her bachelor’s degree in science at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia and her doctorate in pharmacy from the university’s Philadelphia College of Pharmacy. She has been a primary investigator or co-investigator on many clinical studies, and she has authored or co-authored nearly 30 scholarly papers. She is currently the site primary investigator for a Phase III multi-center randomized trial investigating the role of vitamin C in treating thermal injury, called the VICToRY trial, which resulted in the establishment of the first international consortium for clinical trials in burns and led to a recent publication in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Pruskowski is only the second person from ISR to participate in the research panel after Dr. Lee Cancio, the center’s director.

“I’m looking forward to working with my colleagues on the committee to develop and review research initiatives and to identify ways to fill gaps in the current literature,” says Pruskowski. “As a part of a military organization, I’m grateful to have international partners who I can reach out to and ask for help, and likewise to offer my help when it’s needed.”

Eighth Army headquarters at U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys, South Korea hosted its annual Army Award for Maintenance Excellence ceremony Nov. 7, 2024. Units were recognized for demonstrating exceptional performance in their Command Maintenance Discipline Programs.

Brig. Gen. Roderick Laughman, Eighth Army deputy commanding general – sustainment, presented the awards to the distinguished units. The honored units included:

• 7th Korean Service Corps, 19th Expeditionary Sustainment Command

• Directorate of Supply and Transportation, 19th Expeditionary Sustainment Command

• Directorate of Maintenance, 19th Expeditionary Sustainment Command

• 188th Military Police Company, 19th Expeditionary Sustainment Command

• 3rd Battalion, 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division

• 11th Engineer Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division

• Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Division Sustainment Troops Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division

• Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Air Defense Artillery, 35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade

• Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, Eighth Army

• Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 168th Multifunctional Medical Battalion, 65th Medical Brigade

The recognized units implemented robust CMDPs, emphasizing preventive maintenance, timely repairs and comprehensive training. Their efforts not only enhanced operational efficiency, but also set a benchmark for maintenance excellence across the U.S. Army.

“The importance is ensuring your maintenance system is able to operate, and not just effectively, but even in the absence of leadership, to ensure all levels are operating efficiently,” said 1st Sgt. Matthew Sherman, assigned to 188th Military Police Company, 19th Expeditionary Sustainment Command.

The AAME program, established in 1982 by the Department of the Army, recognizes units that excel in maintenance operations, providing added incentive to the competitive programs of major Army commands.

“We did a mock evaluation so units across the peninsula could learn about the AAME… to take that back and prove their command maintenance so the whole peninsula benefited to increase readiness,” said Capt. Jasmine Jackson, Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Air Defense Artillery, 35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade.

The ceremony underscored the critical role of maintenance in sustaining Army readiness and highlighted the leadership’s commitment to upholding the highest standards in equipment and vehicle upkeep.

“I hope we have the same winners again next year,” said Laughman, when commenting on the high-quality standard upheld by each unit.