U.S. Army medical officer strengthens military medical partnerships around world

Photo By Walter Ham | Maj. Jang-woo Lee, the former Biological Threat Assessment Section chief and officer-in-charge of Multifunctional Threat Assessment Troop 1 at the 1st Area Medical Laboratory, forged partnerships with South Korean, German, Canadian and Ukrainian military medical professionals during his time at the command. Lee recently moved to the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research where he serves as the military deputy director of Biologics Research and Development Branch.  

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, MD, UNITED STATES

08.11.2022

Story by Walter Ham  

20th CBRNE Command

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. – A U.S. Army medical officer has strengthened alliances and built relationships with military medical personnel around the world.

Maj. Jang-woo Lee, the former Biological Threat Assessment Section chief and officer-in-charge of Multifunctional Threat Assessment Troop 1 at the 1st Area Medical Laboratory, forged partnerships with South Korean, German, Canadian and Ukrainian military medical professionals during his time at the command.

Lee recently served as the escort officer for Republic of Korea Army Brig. Gen. Byung-seop Choi during his visit to the United States to attend the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command and ROK Armed Forces Medical Command Technological Cooperation Sub-Committee Meeting.

The location of the annual meeting alternates between the United States and South Korea. USAMRDC hosted this year’s 50th TCSC Meeting at its headquarters and invited Choi and his delegates to Fort Detrick, Maryland.

The U.S. Army’s 65th Medical Brigade, which is headquartered on U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys in South Korea, requested Lee’s support during the visit. This was the third time that Lee served as the escort officer for the Technological Cooperation Sub-Committee Meeting. He previously supported the meeting in 2014 and 2018.

“I was honored to support the strategically significant meeting and to contribute to strengthening the coalition between the ROK Armed Forces Medical Command and U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command,” said Lee.

A one-of-a-kind U.S. Army formation, the 1st Area Medical Laboratory deploys to perform surveillance, laboratory testing and health hazard assessments of environmental, occupational, endemic disease and CBRNE threats to support force protection and Weapons of Mass Destruction missions.

The Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland-based 1st Area Medical Laboratory is assigned to the 44th Medical Brigade and the 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives (CBRNE) Command, the U.S. military’s premier all hazards formation.

Soldiers and Army civilians from 20th CBRNE Command deploy from 19 bases in 16 states to take on the world’s most dangerous hazards.

After three years at 1st AML, Lee moved to the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research where he serves as the military deputy director of Biologics Research and Development Branch.

Military and civilian scientists at the Biologics and Development Branch conduct research and development on quality medical countermeasures against military-relevant infectious diseases, including the malaria vaccine and malaria rapid diagnostic test.

Lee said his tour at the 1st Area Medical Laboratory gave him the opportunity to learn lessons from the unit’s commander and sergeant major that will help him through his U.S. Army career.

"The three-year assignment at 1st AML was a very rewarding experience and phenomenal leadership learning opportunity,” said Lee. “The opportunities to build partnerships with allied foreign military including Canadian Forces, German Bundeswehr, Republic of Korea Armed Forces and Ukrainian Ministry of Defense were unforgettable memories and experiences that added to building my military leadership attributes.”

Col. Matthew J. Grieser, the commander of the 1st Area Medical Laboratory, said Lee played an instrumental role in building and strengthening partnerships that will help to safeguard U.S. and allied troops around the world.

“Major Lee served with great distinction at 1st AML,” said Grieser, a native of Mulino, Oregon, who has deployed to Afghanistan four times and Iraq five times and served in Haiti, Panama and New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. “Major Lee epitomized our ‘Mad Scientist’ ethos of Soldier Scientist and paved the way for future allied operations.”

• Date Taken: 08.11.2022
• Date Posted: 08.11.2022 11:32
• Story ID: 427035
• Location: ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, MD, US