USAMRMC PAA Kenneth Bertram Retires after Nearly Two Decades of Service

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1 USAMRMC PAA Kenneth Bertram Retires after Nearly Two Decades of Service Following his re rement luncheon March 29, Dr. Kenneth Bertram, U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command Principal Assistant for Acquisi on, par cipates in a re rement and retreat ceremony at the flagpole in front of the USAMRMC Headquarters, Building 810. Photo by Jeffrey Soares, USAMMDA Public Affairs By Melissa Myers, USAMRMC Public Affairs It was a bi ersweet day for the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command family March 29 as all gathered together for a farewell luncheon in honor of outgoing Principal Assistant for Acquisi on Dr. Kenneth Bertram, a er nearly two decades of service to the command. Joined by his wife, Gail, father, Alvin, stepmother, Judy, son, Ma hew, and daughter in law, Kylie with an added surprise appearance by his daughter, Emily, who called in via video conference all the way from the American Samoa it was an a ernoon filled with awards presenta ons and the sharing of personal stories; an a ernoon honoring one man s reless and faithful efforts in support of the USAMRMC mission. Over 100 colleagues, friends and family members gathered together at Dutch s Daughter in Frederick, Maryland, to celebrate the many years of service and countless accomplishments of Bertram. Vol. 34. No. 4 April In his posi on, Bertram held the responsibility for the advanced development and acquisi on of medical products, such as drugs, vaccines and devices, for the U.S. Army. What exactly does that involve? Con nued on page 2

2 Bertram con nued from page 1 If you think of discover being the labs, we [the Office of the PAA] have the middle space, the develop space, explained Bertram in a more short and sweet summa on of what it has really meant to be the PAA for the USAMRMC. In the develop space, we are primarily concerned with: How do I get things through clinical trials? How do I actually show that they are safe and effec ve in human beings? How do I convince the Food and Drug Administra on to license it? How do I find a commercial partner? The government does not make things, so we have to find someone in the economy to make things. We have to be able to buy it, so that involves things like ge ng a contract; ge ng things delivered; making sure that the people who get it know how to use it, that s the training package; keeping things from breaking, or if it breaks, repairing it So, pu ng all those things together, that is the middle space that my team occupies. Since Bertram s arrival in 1999, he has served in a variety of capaci es at the USAMRMC, including as director of the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs; chief of staff; and as commander of the Walter Reed Army Ins tute of Research; ul mately finding his perfect fit as a member of the Senior Execu ve Service as the USAMRMC PAA in He has also served as The Surgeon General s Sponsor s Representa ve to the U.S. Food and Drug Administra on and as the U.S. Army s Milestone Decision Authority for medical products; a man of many hats to say the least. In his nearly 20 years of service to the command, that change has included establishment of the Medical Technology Enterprise Consor um through an Other Transac onal Agreement for prototypes; oversight of 41 milestones and the fielding of six products across 110 programs; the driving force behind the crea on and implementa on of the USAMRMC lanes demonstra ons, used to tell the command wide full lifecycle story; and the return of the Adenovirus vaccine. His efforts have improved the outside world s view of the command, pu ng the USAMRMC on more people s radar; which has not only brought in more research funds, but more partners and opportuni es in support of the Warfighter. Out of this command, we see be er ways for people to train; be er ways for people to perform; we find be er ways to take care of people a er they re injured; and ul mately, we have research that looks at how can I restore form and func on? said Bertram. There is no other ac vity within the Department of Defense that spans that range. We can do what others cannot do. In addi on to his many accomplishments throughout his me at the USAMRMC, Bertram is also board cer fied in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology; a Fellow of the American College of Physicians ; a member of the U.S. Army Acquisi on Corps, Acquisi on Level III cer fied in both Program Management and Science and Technology Management; and his military honors include two Legion of Merit awards, The Surgeon General s A Proficiency Designator in Hematology/Oncology and the Order of Military Medical Merit. Despite his acuity for the job, this career path was not always what Bertram envisioned for himself when he was younger. A self proclaimed science nerd, Bertram saw himself following a much more tradi onal path of research and development at a university. I was very interested in doing research, explained Bertram. However, in the midst of graduate work, surrounded by medical doctors, I became much more aware of the fact that if your science is actually going to make a difference, it s got to be more than something just published in a textbook. You ve got to find a way to make an impact on the lives of people. And the sooner you can do that, the be er. This realiza on inspired quite a career change, switching gears to pursue a medical school scholarship through the United States Army. Bertram ul mately ended up serving 24 years of ac ve duty service in the U.S. Army, re ring as a colonel in August Despite the many paths his professional journey could have led him, Bertram found his home at the USAMRMC; a command unlike any other, where he has been able to be that change, to make a real difference. The unparalleled insight and exper se into all facets of the command, as well as the Army Medicine Command as a whole, that Bertram has brought to the PAA role leaves large shoes to fill. A er an a ernoon of hear elt farewell messages shared, though ul gi s presented and even a parody tribute video tled, All About that BOSS there is no denying that Bertram is leaving behind his own unique impression on many. When asked his own feelings in regards to his upcoming re rement, Bertram expressed feelings of both excitement and trepida on. Right now, it is difficult, explained Bertram. Doors open and doors close. Clearly, it s very easy for me to iden fy points in me where doors opened and other doors closed. Right now, there is a new door to open and I don t know what lies beyond it. So, there is some degree of excitement what new is out there? but there is also a degree of trepida on. I am leaving a command that does incredible things, with incredible people, to do something new and different and I don t know what that is yet. What does lie ahead for sure? A set last day of April 13 and a move to their newly built home in Minnesota. Best wishes, Dr. Bertram, you will be missed! 2

3 Fort Detrick Hosts Days of Remembrance Observance By Nick Minecci, USAG Public Affairs welcomed my parents and me, said Levy. In 1933, the Jewish popula on in Europe was approximately 9.5 million, which represented more than 60 percent of the world s Jewish popula on at the me. By 1945, nearly two of every three European Jews were killed as a result of the Holocaust. It was in the memory of those killed during this dark me the 6th Medical Logis cs Management Center hosted a Days of Remembrance Ceremony April 26 at the Fort Detrick Auditorium. This year's theme was "Legacy of Perseverance." Commanders, Soldiers, civilians, family members and elected officials par cipated in a remembrance ceremony, along with Dr. Harvey Levy, who served as guest speaker. Levy is the son of survivors of the concentra on camps in Germany during World War II. I am 16! I am 16! Don t kill me! This is what 13 year old Lili Koniecpolska from Katowicz, Poland, had to declare to the Nazis in order to survive upon arrival at each forced labor or concentra on camp in Germany. I am Lili s son. As a young boy in Brooklyn, New York, in the early 1950s, this is what I used to hear coming out of her bedroom in the middle of the night, said Levy as he began his talk. During the observance, Soldiers poured colored rice into a bowl to represent the different groups persecuted by the Nazis, with each grain of rice represen ng 100 people. Then seven candles were lit to remember the 6 million Jews murdered in the Holocaust, as well as the millions of non Jewish vic ms. Each candle was dedicated to a different group of witnesses to the Holocaust, including the children and those who tried to inform the world of what was happening. Finally, one yellow candle was lit, dedicated to the next genera on, as a reminder to carry the flames of remembrance. The United States Congress established the Days of Remembrance as the Na on s annual commemora on of the Holocaust. Each year, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum leads the Na on in commemora ng the Days of Remembrance. Levy told how his mother was herded, along with the rest of the li le town s popula on, into the town square when the Nazis arrived in 1941, with the promise of food vouchers and work for all. Everyone over the age of 16 was put on trucks or trains and sent to the camps. Those under 16 were killed. For the next 3 ½ years, young Lili was moved from camp to camp, of her four siblings she never saw three of them again. Finally, in May 1945, Lili was liberated. Libera on day was the worst day of the war for one third of the people at the camp, Levy said. The Russians liberated the camp, the Nazis had fled and abandoned everything. The Russians opened the gates and told all the prisoners that they were free, and they could have anything they wanted from the now abandoned stores [in town.] Many of the starved people ate meat, cheese and other foods. The next day a third of them got very sick and died. Their emaciated shrunken diges ve systems could not handle the food they ate. They died because no one warned them to go slow, just eat a li le now and a li le more each day. Lili only wanted a hairbrush, a li le piece of cheese and to search for her family, Levy said. During her confinement Lili met a 20 year old man named Laizer Lewi, and following the libera on and a courtship, on Feb. 3, 1946, they were married. The couple made their way to the United States, had two sons, one a doctor, the other a lawyer. Our family will always be grateful and indebted to the countries who fought against the Nazis, and especially to the U.S., who 6candles were lit during the Days of Remembrance program April 26 at the Fort Detrick Auditorium, each candle represen ng one million people killed during the Holocaust. A final seventh candle was lit, dedicated to the people alive today, so we may bear witness to what happened during that dark me and carry forward the flames of remembrance. Photo by Nick Minecci, USAG Public Affairs During the Fort Detrick Days of Remembrance event April 26 at the Fort Detrick Auditorium, Soldiers from the 6th Medical Logis cs Management Center performed a demonstra on called Tears of the Falling Rice. Colored rice was poured into a bowl, each grain represen ng 100 people, to give visual representa on to the non Jewish Polish civilians, people with disabili es, gypsies, homosexuals, Ukrainian Slavs, Soviet prisoners of war and U.S. military personnel killed in the war, and the 6 million Jewish people killed in the Final Solu on. Photo by Nick Minecci, USAG Public Affairs 3

4 On April 10, the Fort Detrick Child and Youth Services held its first Health and Fitness Fair in celebra on of Month of the Military Child. The event kicked off with a fun run and included music, games and interac ve water sta ons hosted by Girl Scout representa ves. Upon comple on of the run, par cipants received a healthy bagged lunch. The fair included informa on booths from Barquist Medical Center, the Fort Detrick Dental Clinic and the U.S. Navy Medical Research Center. Throughout the fair children par cipated in fitness ac vi es such as yoga, step aerobics and La n inspired dance aerobics. Par cipants enjoyed ac vi es and learning more about how to live a healthier life. Photos courtesy of the Fort Detrick CYSS 4

5 Fort Detrick Volunteers, We Salute You! By Lanessa Hill, USAG Public Affairs Those recognized were: Mark John Ditching 1,126 hours Jean Gonzalez hours Thomas Starkoski 620 hours Mary Lee Schumeyer 590 hours Crystal Denlinger 505 hours Fort Detrick recognized Soldiers, family members, re rees and civilians who selflessly volunteered their me this past year to the Army community at the Volunteer Recogni on Ceremony, April 24 at the Community Ac vi es Center. The event, Army Volunteers: We Salute You, praised the 162 registered volunteers from Fort Detrick in Army OneSource s Volunteer Management Informa on System for their work. Many of us spend countless hours serving our communi es in an effort to make them a be er place. Some of us are youth sport coaches, while others assist the elderly, help in local shelters or food banks, and houses of worship. Opportuni es to volunteer are countless. The first U.S. Volunteer Apprecia on Week was established via Presiden al Proclama on 4288, signed by President Richard Nixon in Upon realizing that volunteers are essen al to the Army mission, Army Community Service implemented the Installa on Volunteer Coordinator Program In 1985, and later started the Army Volunteer Corps in When you donate a handful of me you make a significant difference, not only does your giving shape this community for the be er it also improves your life personally, socially and emo onally, said Holcomb. U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command and Fort Detrick Commanding General Maj. Gen. Barbara R. Holcomb welcomed those in a endance expressing gra tude and apprecia on to the volunteers for their me and commitment to serving Fort Detrick and the surrounding community. This is truly a celebra on, people give a lot of themselves, and this is an opportunity to say thank you and to recognize the addi onal efforts that volunteers provide above and beyond their normal day to day work. According to Na onalservice.gov, in the past two decades there has been a growing body of research that indicates volunteering provides individual health benefits in addi on to social ones. This research has established a strong rela onship between volunteering and health: those who volunteer have lower mortality rates, greater func onal ability, and lower rates of depression later in life than those who do not volunteer. In 2017, there were more than 111,000 volunteers registered in the Army s Volunteer Management Informa on System. This I see first hand that our Soldiers, their families and civilians at past year, approximately 2.3 million volunteer hours were Fort Detrick are some of the most generous volunteers around, logged, resul ng in a budget extension of more than $56 said Holcomb. All of our Service Members, spouses, children, million. re rees, members of the community and our civilian employees and contractors who share their gi of me, all of you are a vital Fort Detrick volunteers completed a total of 26,511.3 hours in part to many of our organiza ons on post and within the This translates into $639, in labor savings for our community. communi es. To learn more about volunteering at Fort Detrick or the Army OneSource program contact (301) This year several volunteers were awarded a President s Volunteer Service Gold Award for their service of over 500 hours over a twelve month me period or cumula ve hours over the course of a life me. 5

6 Declutter Your Space to Free Your Mind By Jenni Benson, USAG Public Affairs The start of the New Year is a few months behind us. If you ve already abandoned your New Year s resolu ons don t fret, you don t have to wait un l 2019 to begin again or start a new goal. Why not start again today? If you ve been following the New Year s Resolu on series, you know we ve already discussed health and fitness; reducing debt and saving for the future and for the final ar cle in the series, we will discuss declu ering your home or work space. Time to start spring cleaning! Goals take me to accomplish so start now. Even if there isn t enough me in your day for one more thing, declu ering your home or work space will help to free your mind from distrac ons and chaos bringing you one step closer to a calm and orderly life. Let s look at a few methods to help you accomplish the mission to declu er. What is a good way to tackle junk mail and other forms of paper clu er? Set aside 10 minutes per day to go through mail and other papers that have piled up on the kitchen counter. Put papers into three categories: deal with it now, throw it away or file it. Deal with it now means just that, take care of it right then and don t let a bill or le er get lost in the shuffle. If it s junk mail, put it in the recycling bin immediately. If it s something that needs to be filed and you have the me, file it right away; if not, put it in a to file pile un l you can tackle it. Do your best to keep your counters clean and clear from paper piles and clu er. Take the me each day to put things where they belong. Remember the saying a place for everything, and everything in its place. Each me you go upstairs or into another room, look around and see if you can take things back to their righ ul place. What if I don t have the space for my stuff, but I am having a hard me par ng with it? Par ng with things that have special meaning can be difficult. Many professional organizers will tell you that if the item is broken, unwearable, if you have more than one, or you don t love it or need it, then get rid of it. Start there. Donate goods that you no longer need or haven t used in months. Par cipate in a local yard sale or online swapping community to off load useable items you no longer need. Taking advantage of community bulk trash pick up days can help when disposing of larger items that cannot be donated such as broken furniture or appliances. Check your local community websites for informa on on acceptable items. Organizing seems like an overwhelming task. Break it down into small goals. Start with a junk drawer or a cabinet. Then move on to another and then another and before you know it all of your drawers and cabinets will be organized and clean. If you re feeling energized, take on one room at a me. Changing habits takes me but establishing a cleaning and organizing rou ne and s cking with it will help you meet your goal. Declu ering and organizing the home can be challenging, especially if you can t see where the clu er begins or ends and deciding what to keep, toss or give away can bring up some emo on; take it one thing and one day at a me. Check online resources for ideas and inspira on to keep your mo va on going. Good luck keeping all your New Year s resolu ons! 6

7 Air Force Lab Puts Medical Devices Through Their Paces By Peter Holstein, Air Force Surgeon General Public Affairs We break stuff, said Lt. Col. Brandi Ri er, chief of the Air Force Medical Evalua on Support Ac vity, showing off the facility where her unit tests the devices medical Airmen use to complete their mission. Well, maybe that s not completely accurate, Ri er clarified. We don t set out to break things, but some mes that happens anyway. AFMESA s mission is unique within the Air Force, and across the U.S. military. Their job is to test medical technology and devices to ensure they meet the needs of medical Airmen and survive the rigors of deployment. AFMESA is a crucial part of the procurement process for the Air Force Medical Service and vital to maintain ready medical forces. We get to play with stuff before the Air Force makes the final decision to buy a new piece of equipment or other technology, said Lt. Col. Lewis Wilber, AFMESA deputy chief. We perform what s called opera onal tes ng and make recommenda ons to acquisi on teams to make sure devices the Air Force purchases for our medics can accomplish the mission in an opera onal environment. Situated at Fort Detrick, Maryland, AFMESA has its own tes ng site, complete with a 10 bed Expedi onary Medical Support Hospital (EMEDS +10), a 44,000 square foot test pad, and other on site test facili es. AFMESA engineers work together with Air Force clinicians to put medical devices in simulated field environments. We start by running the device through a func onal verifica on test, which makes sure that it meets the manufacturer s specifica ons, said Ri er. Then, we bring in actual users, medics, who deliver care in the field and in military treatment facili es, and let them interact with the device in a field se ng. The test facili es at AFMESA simulate many of the condi ons medical Airmen experience in the field. Having an EMEDS tent onsite is cri cal, since most of the equipment is used in that deployed se ng, or one similar. The AFMESA testers observe medics interac ng with the devices and document where they experience problems or Lt. Col. Brandi Ri er and Lt. Col. Lewis Wilber, chief and deputy chief, Air Force Medical Evalua on Support Ac vity, examine the lights above a surgical table at the AFMESA test facility at Fort Detrick, Maryland, on Feb. 15. AFMESA inves gated whether new, light emi ng diode lights could replace tradi onal surgical lights for use in deployed environments, but found that under the LEDs, surgeons could not determine if a pa ent s flesh was necro c. U.S. Air Force photo by Shireen Bedi frustra on using a device. Recording these interac ons helps the test team iden fy which parts of the device to scru nize issues more closely, to ensure the device will help medics accomplish their mission. Many of the devices we test have already been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administra on, said Wilber. But the FDA doesn t require the prac cal, hands on tes ng that we perform. A device that works fine in a normal hospital se ng Con nued on page 8 7

8 AFMESA con nued from page 7 may not work when Airmen use it in deployed environments. We make sure Air Force procurement teams have the right informa on to supply our medics with technology that works under stress. One example the AFMESA team highlighted was the evalua on of four pa ent controlled analgesia pump devices. At first, each seemed to have similar capabili es, but when the team began high temperature tes ng, something changed. One of the pumps had an aluminum case that covered some of the tubing, said Ri er. Our medics have to operate in temperatures up to 140 degrees, so that s what we test to. As we turned up the heat, the aluminum melted the tubing, leaving the pump unusable. That s the type of thing you d never learn from tes ng under ideal condi ons. We know our medics rarely see ideal condi ons out in the field. If a piece of equipment breaks out there, that s a life lost. Some mes, AFMESA tes ng reveals fatal flaws in a device. Other mes, the team may make a recommenda on to correct a problem. One test was for an anesthesia machine to use during field surgery. When the team increased the temperature past 112 degrees Fahrenheit, they discovered the system was delivering more and more anesthe c to the simulated pa ent. It turns out the anesthe c agent boiled at 112 degrees, said Ri er. The gas was actually escaping into the test chamber, and delivering way too high a dose. We recommended changing to an agent with a higher boiling point, and the medical teams agreed. Now deployed Air Force surgical teams use that device in the field. What sets AFMESA apart from other military medical tes ng groups are the clinicians embedded in the organiza on. Their exper se and experience in the field allows AFMESA to iden fy points of failure that regular test engineers might not see. Clinician tes ng is our gem, said Ri er. We take medics who deploy downrange and train them to be testers. They know what really ma ers in the opera onal environment. It can be as simple as a device display that works just fine indoors, but can t be read in bright sunshine, or knowing that special opera ons medics need to be able to turn off alarms and flashing lights for some missions. Many of the devices medics use in the field today came through us first for tes ng. Our work directly affects the ability of Air Force Medicine to complete its medical mission. IRS urges Paycheck Checkup for key groups; tax withholding may need adjustment By the Internal Revenue Service In a press release issued April 2, 2018, the Internal Revenue Service encouraged several key groups of taxpayers to perform a paycheck checkup to check if they are having the right amount of tax withholding following recent tax law changes. The IRS emphasizes the new tax law changes make it especially important for specific groups of taxpayers to visit the Withholding Calculator on IRS.gov. This includes people in households with two or more jobs, who have children or dependents, who itemize their taxes, or who have high incomes or complex tax situa ons. "It's important every year for people to review if they're having the right amount of tax withheld from their paychecks," said Ac ng IRS Commissioner David Kau er. "This year, it's even more urgent for people to review their situa on following the new tax law changes. As people complete their 2017 tax returns, this is a perfect me to take a paycheck checkup." The IRS unveiled several new features to help taxpayers understand the implica ons of the new Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and navigate the complex issues affec ng withholding. During the Paycheck Checkup campaign, the IRS is highligh ng these efforts, including new YouTube videos and a special Tax Tip series. The centerpiece of the effort is the updated Withholding Calculator on IRS.gov. The new tax law could affect how much tax someone should have their employer withhold from their paycheck. Using the Withholding Calculator can help prevent employees from having too li le or too much tax withheld. Having too li le tax withheld can mean an unexpected tax bill or poten ally a penalty at tax me in And with the average refund topping $2,800, some taxpayers might prefer to have less tax withheld up front and receive more in their paychecks. Con nued on Page 9 8

9 Taxes con nued from page 8 Taxpayers can use the Withholding Calculator to es mate their 2018 income tax. The Withholding Calculator compares that es mate to the taxpayer s current tax withholding and can help them decide if they need to change their withholding by submi ng a new W 4 form to their employer. When using the calculator, it s helpful to have a completed 2017 tax return available. Special alert for key groups to check withholding The IRS always recommends employees check their withholding at the beginning of each year or when their personal circumstances change to make sure they re having the right amount of tax withheld from their paychecks. Following the recent tax law changes, it s especially important for certain people to use the Withholding Calculator on IRS.gov to check if they are having the right amount of withholding. Among the groups, in par cular, who should check their withholding are people who: Belong to a two income family. Work two or more jobs or only work for part of the year. Have children and claim credits such as the Child Tax Credit. Have older dependents, including children age 17 or older. Itemized deduc ons on their 2017 tax returns. Earn high incomes and have more complex tax returns. Received large tax refunds or had large tax bills for "The IRS urges people in these groups to take a few minutes and review their withholding and tax situa on," Kau er said. "Taking this step will help avoid surprises next year at tax me." The new law increased the standard deduc on, removed personal exemp ons, increased the child tax credit, limited or discon nued certain deduc ons, and changed the tax rates and brackets. Withholding calculator helps with Form W 4; submit to employer as soon as possible Taxpayers can use the results from the Withholding Calculator to help determine if they should complete a new Form W 4, Employee s Withholding Allowance Cer ficate, and, if so, what informa on to put on it. Employees will submit the completed Form W 4 form to their employer. When changes in personal circumstances reduce withholding allowances they are en tled to claim including divorce, star ng a second job, or a child no longer being a dependent employees have 10 days to submit a new Form W 4 to their employer claiming the proper number of withholding allowances. Employees who need to adjust their withholding should do so as quickly as possible so there s more me for tax withholding to take place evenly during the rest of the year. Wai ng un l later in the year means there are fewer pay periods to make the tax changes which could have bigger consequences for each paycheck. To use the Withholding Calculator, taxpayers should have their 2017 tax returns and most recent paystubs ready. Having a completed 2017 tax return can help taxpayers work with the Withholding Calculator to help determine their proper withholding for 2018 and avoid issues when they file next year. Taxpayers should remember that the tax law changes generally don t affect 2017 returns that people are filing in early They affect returns for 2018, which taxpayers will file in The Withholding Calculator helps taxpayers check their 2018 withholding for their 2018 situa on, including recent law changes. Withholding Calculator results depend on the accuracy of informa on entered. Taxpayers whose personal circumstances change during the year should return to the calculator to check whether their withholding should be changed. For more details on withholding issues, taxpayers are encouraged to visit IRS.gov. 9

10 Maj. Gen. Barbara R. Holcomb invites you to par cipate in this year's annual Bike to Work Day on May 18. Fort Detrick is pu ng together an informal team/group to par cipate in the event, which will help us show service pride for Armed Forces Day that same weekend. Details below: Fort Detrick will meet in AAFES Express parking lot, located at the intersec on of Porter Street and Veterans Drive with bikes ready to ride at 6:15 a.m. From Fort Detrick the team will ride to Alumnae Hall located at Hood College by 6:30 a.m. to join the rest of the teams. Army Soldiers will wear a re that shows their affilia on with the Army (Army Physical Fitness Uniform or appropriate bike a re with Army iden ty markings). Maj. Gen. Holcomb requests Service Members and civilian employees from all joint services to show similar support by wearing service affilia ng a re if possible. Par cipa on is not limited by service affilia on and all interagency partners are invited to support Team Fort Detrick. Fort Detrick is partnering with the City of Frederick and other local businesses in support of this annual event, which encourages us to do something healthy for our bodies and smart for our environment. A 4.4 mile recrea onal ride through the City of Frederick, will begin at 6:45 a.m. at Hood College's Alumnae Hall (Rosemont Avenue), winding past Fort Detrick and Frederick City Hall, and ending at the Frederick City Transit Center at approximately 7:30 a.m. Par cipants may register on the Washington, D.C. "Bike to Work Day 2018" website at: h p:// Team Fort Detrick par cipants are encouraged to enter "Fort Detrick" as their employer and select MD Frederick as your pit stop. Riders located at the Forest Glen Annex are encouraged to enter Fort Detrick as their employer and selec ng the pit stop MD Silver Spring Discovery Place. The route from FGA to Discovery Place is rela vely flat, and approximately 2.5 miles one way. All riders must wear a bike helmet approved by the Consumer Product Safety Commission and carry appropriate iden fica on to return to the installa on following the event. Par cipants are responsible to coordinate their work schedule with their supervisor in advance of the event. This is a volunteer event and riders will not be in a duty status. Point of contact is Patrick McKinney, kenneth.p.mckinney.civ@mail.mil, (301) The 2017 Fort Detrick Team! 10

11 By Melissa Myers, USAMRMC Public Affairs CRMRP Hosts First State-of-the-Science Regenerative Medicine Meeting The Clinical and Rehabilita ve Medicine Research Program, a program area directorate within the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, organized and hosted its first Regenera ve Medicine Stakeholders Mee ng at the Bolger Center in Potomac, Maryland, April Intended to assess the current state of the science in regenera ve medicine, 308 par cipants 215 in person and 93 on the phone gathered together to share informa on; to work together to iden fy gaps related to regenera ng lost or damaged ssue to ul mately restore Wounded Warriors a er severe trauma c injury. The primary purpose of the mee ng was to assess where the field of regenera ve medicine stands a er 10 years of federal investment, said Dr. Lloyd Rose, Regenera ve Medicine Research Por olio manager and lead planner of this year s event. Specific focus areas included peripheral nerve, skeletal muscle, bone car lage, skin, vision and regenera ve rehabilita on. By plane or by phone, individuals traveled from not just across the country 34 states to be exact but across the globe Lebanon, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Nigeria and the United Kingdom to par cipate in the CRMRP s first of its kind assembly. We offered the virtual op on as we had far more interested a endees than space to physically accommodate them, added Rose. Opening up this virtual op on to a endees ensured maximum par cipa on at this year s mee ng; making it possible for over 189 different organiza ons of those 35 U.S. government to come together in support of Warfighter health. The majority of invitees were researchers and clinicians in the various fields of regenera ve medicine, including military researchers and clinicians from the Walter Reed Na onal Military Medical Center, San Antonio Military Medical Center, the U.S. Army Ins tute of Surgical Research, the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, the U.S. Military Academy, various Military Treatment Facili es and Veteran s Affairs Health systems. Extramural researchers were also invited from a broad range of ins tu ons. The first day of the mee ng included four panel discussions. The first, a military users panel; the second focusing on extremity trauma, specifically nerve and muscle; the third focusing again on extremity trauma, but this me specific to bone and car lage; and the fourth panel centering on regenera ve rehabilita on. First day moderators included Col. Teresa Brininger, CRMRP director; Lt. Col. Leon Nes from the Northern Regional Medical Command; Dr. Luis Alvarez; and Dr. Alison Cernich from the Na onal Ins tutes of Health. The panels were assembled by myself with the assistance of CRMRP colleagues and management, evaluated for their contribu ons to the field and standing in the research community, said Rose. Moderators were selected based on long affilia ons with military relevant regenera ve medicine efforts either as surgeons or researchers. The second day was comprised of two morning panel discussions, the first with a focus on burns and skin and the second focusing on ocular systems. Dr. Rodney Chan, a plas c surgeon at the U.S. Army Ins tute of Surgical Research, a subordinate command of the USAMRMC, moderated the first morning panel discussion; while Maj. Jason Harris from the USAISR moderated the second. The mee ng in our minds was a great success, said Rose. I heard a lot of posi ve feedback, including from one experienced inves gator who told me he thought it was the best symposium he had a ended. There were also a lot of people who haven t ever been directly engaged with military medicine who said the military panel was very moving and inspiring to them. Informa on gathered from the discussions at this mee ng are intended to be u lized to facilitate the development of the CRMRP s goals and objec ves, and poten al future award mechanisms. Day two of the Clinical and Rehabilita ve Medicine Research Program's first ever Regenera ve Medicine Stakeholders Mee ng begins with a panel focusing on burns and skin at the Bolger Center in Potomac, Maryland. Photo by Melissa Myers, USAMRMC Public Affairs 11

12 FORT DETRICK FATHER DAUGHTER DANCE Over 140 fathers and daughters dance the night away at Fort Detrick s annual Father Daughter Dance on April 7, at the Fort Detrick Auditorium. The event included dinner, dancing, and a dessert bar with a chocolate fountain. The evening was full of fun and enchantment. Photos courtesy of FMWR 12

13 Fort Detrick Completes Annual Full Scale Emergency Exercise By Jenni Benson, USAG Public Affairs Fort Detrick completed its annual emergency exercise April 17 18, tes ng procedures for communica on, the emergency opera ons center and response and recovery in coordina on with mul ple agencies. Fort Detrick conducts annual full scale exercises to ensure the highest level of readiness, with a selec on of different emergency scenarios for each drill. For this year s exercise, Fort Detrick focused on a natural disaster, tes ng the installa on s procedures to respond, recover and restore normal opera ng condi ons following the simula on of a damaging earthquake. In addi on to the natural disaster, Fort Detrick simulated a response to a pandemic, tes ng the capabili es of the installa on s medical distribu on centers and standard opera ng procedures. We con nue to sharpen our response and recovery skills across all aspects of our opera ons to ensure readiness, said Fort Detrick Garrison Commander Col. Sco Halter. You ve heard, hope for the best and plan for the worst? Exercising our opera ons, plans and procedures help us to do just that. The exercise tested the capabili es of the Fort Detrick Emergency Opera ons Center, which serves as the focal point of the installa on s efforts to restore normal opera ons following events of this nature. "If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail," said Installa on Emergency Manager Garth Phoebus quo ng Benjamin Franklin. The overall objec ve is to train how we expect to react. We don't make rela onships on the scene. We prac ce, coordinate, network, and respond with people we have trained with. It is impera ve to train together and validate plans, agreements, and SOPs prior to an incident. The EOC has a very important aspect in response. The EOC supports Incident Command with resources needed to save lives, property and maintain mission assurance. The exercise also demonstrated effec ve coordina on with several agencies on and off post, including Fort Detrick staff and Frederick County s Health, Communica ons and Preparedness Departments. The Installa on Management Command assisted in the planning and execu on of the event sending a team to facilitate and ensure the exercise was as realis c as possible. IMCOM representa ves evaluated Fort Detrick before, during and a er the exercise to provide crucial feedback to improve upon current response and recovery plans and procedures. Exercise par cipants took away key lessons learned, including areas to improve and strengths to maintain. 13

14 United States Army Criminal Investigation Command CID Seeks Qualified Officers to Join Warrant Officer Ranks By U.S. Army Criminal Inves ga on Command The U.S. Army Criminal Inves ga on Command is seeking first lieutenants and captains, from all military occupa onal special es, interested in becoming CID special agents to submit applica ons to transi on to a CID special agent warrant officer, MOS 311A. MILPER Message Number , Officer Applica on Requirements for Appointment to CID Warrant Officer (MOS 311A), outlines the specifics of the program. Applica ons will be accepted through May 18, said Lisa Dodd, chief of Special Agent Accessions Branch. Approved applica ons will be considered by the warrant officer accession board which convenes in July, so qualified applicants are encouraged to visit the closest regular Army CID office to start the process as soon as possible. Please keep in mind that one does not have to have a police background it s not a requirement to qualify and be accepted into this specialized program. A complete list of CID offices can be found at: h p:// In addi on to the CID agent applica on, qualified officers must also prepare a warrant officer applica on. The warrant officer applica on, CID applica on and packet submission checklist are available at your local CID office. The warrant officer applica on requirements, packet submission checklist and Warrant Officer Recrui ng Team points of contact are located on the U.S. Army Recrui ng Command website at: h p:// For more informa on, visit: or contact the Warrant Officer Recrui ng Team at: usarmy.knox.usarec.mbx.9sbn wo team ques ons@mail.mil. CID special agent warrant officers are subject ma er experts and leaders who manage all aspects of felony criminal inves ga ons in all opera onal environments. They plan, organize and supervise criminal inves ga ons, protec ve services and rule of law opera ons. the commissioned and warrant officers is viewed as synergis c because those junior agents can share lessons of both leadership and technical work with the newly transi oned officers. This is the third consecu ve year this par cular recrui ng program has been offered. Prior to that, transi ons were on a case by case basis. The officers that choose to go down the warrant officer path are bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience to the criminal inves ga on table, when coupling specialty performance differences between the commissioned and warrant officer ranks, said Chief Warrant Officer 5 Edgar Collins, CID s command chief warrant officer. They are already bringing the leadership traits and skills that are learned as an officer, and they will be applying them once they are a warrant officer. Dodd added that qualified officers who are interested in becoming CID special agents are encouraged to contact the CID Special Agent Accessions Branch for specific details at: USArmy.Join CID@mail.mil. They can also contact the nearest CID office, where personnel can help answer ques ons about the special agent program. Those selected for appointment will be scheduled to a end the CID Special Agent Course at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, and the MOS 311A Warrant Officer Basic Course, also at Fort Leonard Wood. Acceptance into the CID program is con ngent upon successful comple on of all training and a favorable Single Scope Background Inves ga on. Appointment to warrant officer will incur a six year ac ve duty service obliga on. According to senior CID leadership, the Commissioned Officer to Warrant Officer Program is open to all special es. It s a unique model because company grade officers have a great deal of leadership training early in their career versus a great depth of technical training, and our warrant officers have an extensive amount of technical proficiency. This blend between Courtesy image For more information on CID or to report a felony-level crime or provide information concerning a crime, contact your local CID office or the Military Police or visit 14

15 United States Army Criminal Investigation Command CID: Sextor on Scams con nue to occur; don t give in to scammers demands By U.S. Army Criminal Inves ga on Command The U.S. Army Criminal Inves ga on Command s Computer Crime Inves ga ve Unit con nues to cau on the Army community to be on the lookout for all types of sextor on scams where criminals will use any dishonest method to make contact with poten al vic ms and then a empt to blackmail them. To avoid falling prey to a sextor onist never send compromising photos or videos of yourself to anyone, whether you know them or think you know them, said Special Agent Daniel Andrews, director of CCIU. Turn off your electronic devices and physically block web cameras when you are not using them. If you meet a person on a legi mate online da ng site there is very li le chance that you are actually communica ng with an underage person, Andrews said. It is therefore very unlikely that you sent or received child pornography or provided your images/videos to a minor. If you met someone online who later claims to be underage you should immediately cease all communica ons with that person and no fy Army CID. It is important to also keep in mind that law enforcement, to include Army CID, will never agree to not take legal ac on if you agree to pay [ransom] money to the alleged vic m or to the alleged vic m's family, he said. If law enforcement gets involved early on, there are inves ga ve steps that may help iden fy the perpetrators responsible for vic mizing Army personnel. Officials describe sextor on scams as cyber sexual extor on where perpetrators conduct schemes that leverage online sexual acts for financial gain or other forms of blackmail. In addi on, when using a legi mate online da ng site, vic ms are more apt to provide personal informa on and or par cipate in online compromising acts; however, CID officials are warning the Army community to be very cau ous of their online communica ons ac vity and not share in mate, personal informa on with strangers or people you have never met in person. These criminals will try to get unsuspec ng Service Members to engage in online sexual ac vi es and then demand money or favors in exchange for not publicizing poten ally embarrassing informa on or turning them over to law enforcement, said Andrews. Once the Soldier sends a compromising photo or par cipates in a video chat, the perpetrator threatens to send those images to the Soldier s command, family, and friends unless ransom money is paid, according to CCIU officials. One recent scam is where the criminal will claim that the Soldier sent sexual images to a minor, who has now become the alleged vic m, and threaten to report the Soldier to law enforcement unless a monetary fee is paid. Another way that the criminals a empt to extort money is to claim that they are a lawyer working on behalf of the alleged vic m. The scammer will request payments for things such as counseling for the alleged vic m and to replace electronic devices that now contain child pornography. If these demands are not met the person alleging to be the lawyer threatens to report the incident to law enforcement. Andrews said legi mate organiza ons will not contact you and ask for money in lieu of repor ng you to law enforcement and typically law enforcement will not a empt to make contact with you over the phone. If you are contacted via telephone, always request valida ng informa on such as an agency address and offer to meet in person at a law enforcement facility before proceeding with giving out your personal informa on. Stop communica on immediately with these individuals and do not send money because it will not stop the criminal from demanding more money from you, CCIU officials said. CCIU is aware of instances where scammers threatened to release videos unless a second or even a third payment is made. Unfortunately, these incidents con nue to occur on the internet across the globe, and sextor on vic ms are encouraged to seek the assistance of law enforcement. Army CID agents say they can help if you find yourself in any of these types of predicaments. Con nued on Page 16 15

16 Scam con nued from Page 15 Vic ms are at risk of further exploita on, that can include demands for addi onal payments, more sexual images, sensi ve military informa on, or access to U.S. Army systems and facili es, so early no fica on to law enforcement is important, CID agents emphasized. For more informa on on how these scams unfold and how to iden fy sextor on red flags, see the Joint Service Sextor on brochure. If you have been the vic m of sextor on, adhere to the following: DO preserve whatever informa on you have from the scammer(s), such as social networking profile, accounts used, where money was directed to be sent, etc. DO no fy CCIU at usarmy.cciuintel@mail.mil to report being a vic m if you are a Service Member or an Army civilian employee. If you are not associated with the military, report the crime to your local police department, DHS Homeland Security Inves ga ons at Assistance.Vic m@ice.dhs.gov, or the FBI s Internet Crime Complaint Center at Vic ms can seek informa on on rights and assistance from: Army Vic m/witness Liaison Program VWL will assist vic m in contac ng agencies or individuals responsible for providing necessary services and relief. Command Chaplains. Family Advocacy Center/Army Community Service. If vic ms are not eligible for military services, or where military services are not available, the VWL can provide liaison assistance in seeking any available nonmilitary services within the civilian community. For more informa on about computer security, other computer related scams and to review previous cyber crime alert no ces and cyber crime preven on flyers visit the Army CID CCIU website at h p:// advisories.html. 16

17 USAMRMC Commanding General s 18 Hole Golf Scramble Over 150 golfers par cipate in the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command Commanding General s annual golf scramble at the Clustered Spires Golf Course in Frederick, Maryland, April 13. Players from various organiza ons and units on Fort Detrick took to the greens. Nearly $5,000 was raised from the fundraising event. All proceeds benefited the Fort Detrick Installa on Ball. Photo by Lanessa Hill, USAG Public Affairs New Common Access Card Informa on Please Read Carefully If you have received a new or updated CAC a er March 1, 2018 this applies to you. Your CAC is issued with an addi onal cer ficate called the Personal Iden ty Verifica on Authen ca on cer ficate. The PIV Auth cer ficate will be used in the future as the only cer ficate to logon to Army Systems. When using your CAC to logon to the network via your computer worksta on you will see the PIV Auth cer ficate as an addi onal logon op on. DO NOT SELECT THE PIV OPTION for logon because your system is not currently configured to use the PIV Auth cer ficate. The PIV Auth cer ficate can be dis nguished by its 16 digit number (e.g., @mil). The other CAC cer ficates ( signature and ID) have a 10 digit DoD ID number (e.g., @mil). The signature and ID cer ficates will be the primary cer ficates used for logon to Army systems un l further no ce. Note: The signature cer ficate is the default cer ficate that is used to logon to the network via your computer worksta on. If you receive the error creden als cannot be verified you have chosen the wrong cer ficate. Choose the signing cer ficate to logon successfully. If you have any ques ons please contact the Military Personnel Office at (301)