Task Force Medical Afghanistan hosts medical commander’s conference

Photo By Maj. Addie Leonhardt | Medical professionals from throughout Afghanistan pose for a group picture during a commander’s conference hosted by Task Force Medical Afghanistan’s Commander U.S. Army Col. Bruce McVeigh, May 29-31.  

AFGHANISTAN

06.02.2012

Story by Capt. Addie Leonhardt 

Task Force MED - Afghanistan

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan – Task Force Medical Afghanistan’s Commander, U.S. Army Col. Bruce McVeigh, hosted a commander’s conference to discuss potential issues and the way ahead for the medical mission at the Jirga Center here, May 30-31.

During the two-day conference, medical leaders shared their lessons learned and concerns on the pending reduction in forces and the potential effects to the medical mission in Afghanistan.

“It’s really about going after the issues. What’s out there we’ve missed as we reset, as we look at things right now, as we look at the future battle-space and what it’s going to shift to be. We’re the health care system for this theater right now in all facets that’s what I want you to get out of this conference,” said McVeigh. “It’s all about getting the right health care at the right time.”

One of the main emphases of the conference was ensuring medical commanders at all levels understand the importance of communicating as the medical community goes through the pending reduction. According to McVeigh, it is important that information flows freely from the highest levels of command to the lowest levels so that there is a clear picture as to the way ahead in supporting the medical mission in Afghanistan.

“That’s why we’re trying to socialize this as we go through this reduction, that depth is not there, and we’re making sure we take these plans and socialize them with all the regional commands before we go into final execution mode and also use our great LNO teams to be that conduit right down to the regional commands to make sure they understand exactly what we’re doing,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Roy Vernon, TF MED-A Operations officer-in-charge.

The conference also included coalition forces in the medical community who play an important part in the overall medical mission throughout Afghanistan.

“It’s (the conference) a way forward because today, for me, it’s given me a great insight into you guys (U.S. forces), your direction of travel and where you see yourselves going and of course we (U.K. forces) play a big part of that as well,” said U.K. Lt. Col. Andrea Lewis, commander of the Bastion Role III Hospital in Regional Command South-West, which is augmented by 87 U.S. service members.

During the conference, U.S. Force Afghanistan Deputy Commanding General-Support U.S. Army Maj. Gen. William Rapp, discussed the way ahead from a higher command’s perspective. Rapp shared International Security Assistance Force Commander U.S. Marine Gen. John Allen’s priorities and encouraged the medical leaders to integrate them as they plan the way ahead. These priorities included: do everything necessary to sustain the momentum of the campaign, put the Afghan National Security Forces in the lead, support in every way possible the transition of what we do to the Afghans, and the need for every single leader to be agile and flexible.

“As I talk with folks, there are two groups that I cannot give profuse enough praise to, the first is DLA and the other group is the medical professionals,” said Rapp. “Unbelievable what you all have been able to do in this CJOA-A, absolutely incredible.”

• Date Taken: 06.02.2012
• Date Posted: 06.11.2012 02:11
• Story ID: 89746
• Location: AF
• Hometown: FORT CAVAZOS, TX, US