Photo By Kathryn Ellis-Warfield | Army and Navy medical maintainers participate in a team-building event during a...... read more read more
FORT DETRICK, Md. -- Behind the scenes, healthcare technology management professionals are a small, yet mighty force and represent the glue that binds the medical continuum of care together throughout the Department of Defense.
In the Army alone, almost 700 active-duty enlisted Soldiers and warrant officers are responsible for maintaining nearly 90,000 medical devices in support of the operational force, according to Command Sgt. Maj. Gabriel Wright, who recalled the significance of medical maintainers during a deployment to Afghanistan.
“If it wasn’t for the ingenuity of our 68As [Biomedical Equipment Specialists] … without those maintainers, we would not have been able to provide care to the warfighter and we would surely have lost more lives,” Wright said.
U.S. Army Medical Logistics Command hosted a two-day summit in May at Fort Detrick in recognition of Healthcare Technology Management Week, bringing together dozens of HTM subject-matter experts across the Army, Navy, Air Force and other DOD-level agencies.
The event included reports from the services and distinguished guest speakers, as well as team-building events, equipment demonstrations and career field and project updates.
Chief Warrant Officer 4 Jerry Schmaljohann, who serves as AMLC’s senior warrant officer advisor and top medical maintenance expert, said he was happy the event was able to bring together so many stakeholder voices and build synergy across the DOD HTM community.
“For as small of a field as we are, I was really pleased not just with the support from within the building, but also the external commanders and organizations across all services,” Schmaljohann said. “It just goes to show that we are all in this fight together and the HTM community is a tight-knit group, willing to lead the way as we navigate transition and improve joint operational support.”
The themes of transition and transformation have been common talking points throughout the DOD in recent months. HTM leaders are embracing this change as necessary steps to adapt to future battlefield conditions and evolving technology, such as AI and additive manufacturing, while becoming a leaner and more agile fighting force.
“Be comfortable with the change,” said Chief Warrant Officer 5 Deanna Hughes, senior warrant officer adviser to the Army surgeon general and command chief warrant officer for U.S. Army Medical Command.
In planning for large-scale combat operations across multiple domains, Hughes cautioned that the military would endure “the greatest number of casualties that we have ever seen,” spread out over wider areas as technologies and mobility increases.
“We will be overwhelmed in casualties,” she said. “That means that we have to rethink how we do business. We need to get medical devices as far forward as possible, and BMETs have to be there as well.
“This is serious business,” Hughes added. “You’re not just fixing equipment. You’re enabling the fight.”
The summit’s second day was capped off by a senior leader question-and-answer session, followed by the presentation of the 2025 Dean Ohlsen HTM Awards of Excellence, which are presented annually to one warrant officer, one enlisted Soldier and one Army Civilian.
The winners this year were:
• Chief Warrant Officer 3 Richard Hendricks, director of Home Station Medical Maintenance Support, U.S. Army Medical Materiel Agency, Fort Detrick, Maryland
• Staff Sgt. Yazmin Sheridan, chief of Healthcare Technology Management, Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center, Fort Hood, Texas
• Wendell Johnson, logistics management specialist, Aviation, MEDLOG and Electronics, G4, U.S. Army Forces Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Now in its fifth year, the award is named after the late retired Sgt. Maj. Dean R. Ohlsen, who is known as a pioneer in the HTM community. Ohlsen gave over 60 years of combined service as a Soldier and Army civilian, dedicating most of his life to the advancement of the Army’s medical maintenance career field over his decades of governmental service.
Hendricks said he was one of several in the room who personally worked with and knew the late Ohlsen’s passion for the profession, “so it’s really cool to receive this kind of award.”
Sheridan and Johnson could not attend the event but accepted their awards virtually.
Reflecting on HTM Week, Wright reiterated that HTM professionals ensure readiness and serve as a force multiplier to keep service members, their families and DOD beneficiaries safe and healthy.
“HTM Week allows us to recognize the great work of this community and the importance it holds for medical readiness throughout our DOD,” he said. “You can’t do the patient care without providing maintenance to those pieces of equipment, so I want to thank all of you.”
| Date Taken: | 05.28.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 05.28.2025 14:57 |
| Story ID: | 499092 |
| Location: | FORT DETRICK, MARYLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 46 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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