Photo By Staff Sgt. Ian Valley | U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Preston Cook, a medical logistics specialist, Sgt. Marvin Wyler,...... read more read more
SAGAMI ARMY DEPOT, Japan -- U.S. Army Medical Logistics Command continues to grow its relationships through training with reserve component Soldiers who are an integral part of ensuring medical readiness in support of the warfighter.
The latest example of that played out during Army Materiel Command’s Operation Patriot Press, where reserve Soldiers from the 308th Medical Logistics Company trained alongside Army Civilians and contractors at the Army Prepositioned Stocks site in Japan, known as APS-4J.
Operation Patriot Press, or OPP, is a large-scale, multi-component logistics exercise that spans several months. It integrates U.S. Army Reserve, National Guard and active-duty forces to strengthen sustainment capabilities.
Over a six-week period from mid-June through July, three rotations of members from the 308th MLC, a Utah-based unit under the 807th Medical Command (Deployment Support), worked to inventory and reset military hospital sets stored in APS for future use.
It was the second straight year the unit has participated in OPP at APS-4J.
"Last year, when we left, the contractors still had quite a bit of work left to do," said Sgt. 1st Class Juan Zapata, a medical logistician with the 308th. "This year, because we're there for a month and a half, I think they were able to plan a little better to be able to accomplish the entire inventory and restore."
The exercise provided a platform to train in a real-world environment and practice their skills in medical inventory management, supply accountability and joint operations.
“The Soldiers who participate in these kinds of missions gain valuable training in working with both local nationals as well as civilian contractors in a real-world environment,” said Capt. Connor Cattolica, commander of the 308th MLC. “The volume of medical supply alone dwarfs what most of these soldiers will work with unless in a deployed environment.”
Lt. Col. Kristofer Hagman, AMLC’s reserve liaison officer, reiterated OPP’s importance as a training platform for reserve MLCs, especially when it comes to Role 3 equipment for field hospitals positioned in forward locations.
Role 3 facilities provide the most comprehensive medical care and are typically located at the division level of higher. Role 1 is initial trauma care and resuscitation at the unit level, while Role 2 offers more advanced trauma management and emergency surgery capabilities.
"Most reserve MLCs only handle Roll 1 and 2 capabilities, with most of their experience with Role 3 Class VIII medical materiel coming through regional training sites," Hagman said. "But with exercises like OPP, our reserve units can conduct their training in a real-world mission setting, while augmenting our APS workforce. I hope to see us continue growing this interoperability as we move toward a more agile, adaptable force."
Army Civilians and contractors with the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Agency, a direct reporting unit to AMLC, provide staffing and management oversight for medical assets maintained at APS sites.
Hagman also emphasized the interoperability between active-duty and reserve components that these exercises promote, laying the foundation for a seamless transition during future contingency requirements.
"Not only does this training build a ready reserve force, but it builds those relationships which are so crucial to a smooth handoff and mission success," he said.
The growing relationship with the 308th Soldiers was evident, according to Zapata, who said the APS-4J staff "kind of let off the reins a little bit and let us take over" a little more responsibility in the inventory process this time around.
The work included pulling items from storage, verifying service records of equipment, replenishing stock and repackaging everything for long-term storage.
"The benefit for these guys is being able to see medical logistics put into place, put into action and seeing the grand scheme of things," Zapata explained. "We get to see what a field hospital looks like, and this is where MEDLOG really plays a part into enabling all of those providers, nurses, medics, whomever to do their jobs."
The opportunity to engage in a meaningful mission had a tangible impact on the reserve unit as well, with Zapata calling it a "game changer."
"Since we've done back-to-back OPP missions, we've had, at least in my platoon already, four reenlistments just off of this exercise," he said.
For several, the experience reaffirmed their understanding of their role in the Army and sense of purpose.
"Sometimes, it can feel like we’re just checking a box when completing our annual training, but with this, we know the impact we’re having because we can see it and learn from the experts," Zapata said. "For that specialist or that private, they can really see how our work supports USAMMA and AMLC, and together we’re enabling medical readiness."
| Date Taken: | 08.15.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.15.2025 14:57 |
| Story ID: | 545763 |
| Location: | SAGAMIHARA, JP |
| Web Views: | 39 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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