Operation Reserve Care takes on Total Force Policy concept

Photo By Twana Atkinson | Maj. Tamara Snyder, the Operation Reserve Care officer in charge, briefs Col. John Melton, the Womack Army Medical Center hospital commander and Col. Bonnie Lowe, the United States Army Reserve deputy surgeon on the successful partnership established to achieve the Army's Total Force Policy to maintain medical readiness for Soldiers in the Fort Bragg area.  

FAYETTEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA, UNITED STATES

05.04.2019

Story by Twana Atkinson 

Womack Army Medical Center

Womack Public Affairs Specialist
WOMACK ARMY MEDICAL CENTER, FORT BRAGG, N.C. – Womack Army Medical Center and the 7458th Medical Backfill Battalion partner up to maintain medical readiness for all surrounding Fort Bragg area Soldiers using an initiative called ‘Operation Reserve Care’.
Operation Reserve Care started in 2016 as a means to help improve Army Reserve medical readiness. Since the inception of the operation, the partnership between the two organizations have sparked great demand for their services across all three Army components near Bragg.
“We have had to increase our rotations to two weekends a month,” said Capt. Tiffany Glass, the 7458th clinical operations officer in charge. “We rotate with another unit, but we now have units bringing in a large population of their Soldiers in order to maintain their unit medical readiness.
The Southeast Medical Area Support Group commander, Col. Brad Nindl explains why the partnership and the success of the partnership is so important.
“Whether you listen to active duty or reservist senior army leadership, readiness is important,” said Nindl. “This is a great example of Total Force Integration. When we go to war we fight together, (Army components one, two, and three). This is a great example of us training together as well.”
The Army's Total Force Policy is an ongoing effort by the service to transition its reserve component forces, both the Army Reserve and the National Guard, into an operational force. The intent is to create a seamless and holistic "total force" governed by the same interchangeable policies and procedures.
Col. Bonnie Lowe, United States Army Reserve deputy surgeon, expressed her appreciation of the collaboration and how it better benefits the Army’s Total Force Policy concept.
“Anytime that our units can practice their war-time mission, it’s a win-win for all of us,” said Lowe.
The new Total Force Policy will provide for a more uniform set of policies and procedures to govern all three Army component forces: Active-Duty, Reserve and National Guard. It will facilitate better integration of these three component forces and a more balanced total force. And it will standardize authorities and procedures for pre-deployment readiness validation of the total Army.
The 7458th MBB operates their mission out of an active-duty medical treatment facility, Womack. The Womack commander expressed his support of the mission.
“We provide a platform to ensure medical critical war-time skills reach a level of competency, currency, and proficiency,” said Melton. “We fight as one Army and a joint force eliminating barriers.”
Operation Reserve Care services Soldiers in the Fort Bragg area in periodic health assessments, dental, audiology, optometry, immunizations and basic medical services every 1st and 4th Saturday of the month.

• Date Taken: 05.04.2019
• Date Posted: 05.07.2019 09:48
• Story ID: 321076
• Location: FAYETTEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA, US