U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Camanita Ieremia ()
BUSAN, Republic of Korea -- Vaccines and booster shots remain one of the best defenses against the ongoing global fight against COVID-19.
The U.S. Army Medical Materiel Center-Korea is continuing to do its part to support the effort on the Korean Peninsula, including resupply missions for U.S. Navy partners operating in the region.
On Sept. 23, USAMMC-K delivered ancillary support kits for the Navy’s COVID-19 vaccine booster program aboard USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) as it was in port at Busan.
The shipment included 300 kits, each with items like syringes, alcohol pads, vaccine cards and personal-protective equipment needed to administer the shots for Sailors.
“This vital mission required and exemplified the full collaboration and coordination between agencies and partners from the U.S. and Republic of Korea,” said Maj. Myong “Mike” Pak, deputy commander for operations at USAMMC-K, the theater lead agent for medical materiel, or TLAMM, for the Korean theater of operation.
USAMMC-K is a direct reporting unit to Army Medical Logistics Command, the Army’s premier medical logistics organization and life cycle management command for medical materiel.
The Nimitz-class supercarrier was in Korea to participate in combined training exercises to boost readiness and show support for its Korean allies.
While not directly involved in USS Ronald Reagan’s larger exercise, USAMMC-K’s ongoing resupply requirements for naval partners provide vital support, Pak said, helping to ensure that Sailors in the theater stay healthy and ready for any contingency.
“USAMMC-K does not often have contact with Navy fleet ships due to their transitory nature,” Pak said. “This requirement presented the uncommon opportunity to enable a ship-to-shore resupply mission, which was a success. We confirmed that USAMMC-K and its partners can support similar future missions.”
USAMMC-K pharmacist Capt. Kehinde Adesina led the delivery effort, coordinating with the 19th Expeditionary Sustainment Command and 65th Medical Brigade for ground transportation and on-site support.
“It also took coordination with the Defense Health Agency, Defense Logistics Agency and Navy joint partners” to complete this mission, Pak added, along with Army and Korean civilian employees at USAMMC-K and the Korean Augmentation to the U.S. Army, or KATUSA, Soldiers.
“We are enabling readiness through developing routines and building relationships between these agencies today, which promotes familiarity, interoperability and cooperation,” he said. “We need to be ready to leverage those experiences for more complex missions in the future.”
