Courtesy Photo | Capt. Kirk Proctor (left) receives a certificate of achievement from Lt. Gen. Bill...... read more read more
CAMP CARROLL, South Korea -- As the commander of the 563rd Medical Logistics Company, U.S. Army Capt. Kirk Proctor makes his Soldiers his priority.
“My leadership style is that of a servant leader in that my focus is the welfare of the Soldiers and leader development,” Proctor said. “I share the idea that the best form of welfare for the troops is high-quality training.”
Proctor’s leadership style has gained recognition from key leaders on the Korean Peninsula, where he has been nominated as one of the Eighth Army’s two candidates for the prestigious General Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award.
Lt. Col. Marcus D. Perkins, commander of the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Center-Korea, where the 563rd MLC is a tenant unit, said Proctor took over a medical company with discipline, supply and training challenges.
“In a short time, he turned his formation around to the best company of the 65th Medical Brigade,” Perkins said.
USAMMC-K is a direct reporting unit to Army Medical Logistics Command, the Army’s medical logistics and lifecycle management command headquartered at Fort Detrick, Maryland.
Calling Proctor “a superior trainer” with a great understanding of mission command principles, Perkins attributed much of the captain’s success to the development of a first-class training program that covered all needed skills, including maintenance, supply and operations.
“Capt. Proctor used a crawl-walk-run methodology to increase the tactical proficiency of his Soldiers to enhance their ability to provide medical sustainment support to the COVID-19 response and win on the battlefield,” Perkins said.
The MacArthur award is presented annually to outstanding company grade officers who demonstrate the ideals for which MacArthur stood -- duty, honor and country.
Proctor is joined by Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Welch as the Eighth Army’s nominees and finalists for the award, following the U.S. Army Pacific competition results in February. The two Soldiers now await the results of the Army-wide competition later this year.
Proctor, a native of Houston, Texas, said he was “very humbled” to make it this far.
“The competition thus far has hosted some incredible officers who come from an array of different functions and backgrounds who all have unique experiences that contribute to their commitment to public service,” he said.
“Soldiers under my command remind me of my commitment to the profession and my purpose for wearing the uniform,” Proctor added. “… It’s the stories and commitment of fellow officers and leaders, and Soldiers who look at me as their commander, leader and mentor that inspire me to do more each day and continue to live to General Douglas MacArthur’s ideals of duty, honor, and country.”
Operating out of USAMMC-K, the 563rd MLC plays an important role in managing medical materiel and equipment to sustain the readiness of U.S. Forces Korea.
Over the past year, the unit has received, stored and shipped over $40 million worth of medical materiel globally, including over $1 million worth of medical equipment to 134 customers in armistice and during the COVID-19 response, Perkins said.
Additionally, the 563rd MLC has completed over 3,000 medical maintenance services and fabricated more than 5,000 pairs of eyeglasses over that span.
Proctor’s leadership “directly improved readiness for all units in Korea,” said Perkins, who also has nominated Proctor for the NAACP’s Roy Wilkins Renown Service Award.
While his accomplishments are notable, Proctor is not one to take credit for himself, preferring to share it with the Soldiers who have worked alongside him toward a common goal.
Proctor also thanked Perkins and 65th Medical Brigade Commander Col. Charles Zimmerman for seeing his potential and nominating him for the award, as well as Lt. Col Sara Torres who has been a valuable mentor.
“The many engagements, the problems we resolved and the shared success is what has shaped me as a leader today,” he said.
| Date Taken: | 02.26.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 02.26.2021 10:47 |
| Story ID: | 390020 |
| Location: | CAMP CARROLL, KR |
| Web Views: | 202 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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