Photo By Lt. Col. Kristin Porter | Service members assigned to the Theater Lead Agent for Medical Materiel-Pacific...... read more read more
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In late February, members of the 807th Theater Medical Command (TMC) G4 traveled to Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan, to discuss Army Reserve personnel augmentation of the Theater Lead Agent for Medical Materiel – Pacific (TLAMM-P) with eight other agencies from the Indo-Pacific (INDOPACOM) theater.
The discussion stemmed from the 807th TMC G4, Lt. Col. Nahum Reyes Perez, questioning why in 2022 and 2023 “Army Reserve medical units were going into the Pacific theater for exercises but ordering Class VIII (medical supplies and equipment) materiel at the local IMSA (Installation Medical Supply Activity) in the states and hand carrying them. Why? We can order Class VIII through TLAMM-P, and they should ship straight to the training area for Operation Pacific Pathways or the IRT (Innovative Readiness Training) mission in CNMI (Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands).”
Class VIII supplies are exclusively available through the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), and the TLAMM-P serves as DLA's extension into INDOPACOM.
Reyes Perez directed units to order Class VIII through TLAMM-P but was then told to stop because TLAMM-P was not postured to support these missions.
Reyes Perez engaged with Maj. Johnathan Clark, an Army Reserve Engagement Cell Multi-Functional planner and liaison to U.S. Army Pacific Command, who developed a plan proposing the use of Army Reserve 68Js, Medical Logistics Specialists, from the 807th TMC medical logistics companies to fill the resource gap at TLAMM-P.
"Integrating U.S. Army Reserve (USAR) augmentation into TLAMM-P directly supports the Theater Army Campaign Plan's 'Build and Apply' objectives. This program provides a unique platform for USAR Soldiers to build combat-ready formations through collective training opportunities typically only available during deployments," stated Clark.
Training medical logistics personnel to operate effectively in diverse and austere environments, prepared for a wide range of contingencies is not just an operational necessity but a strategic imperative.
“Unfortunately, many of our 68Js do not train as they fight during training exercises. They aren’t pushing or pulling Class VIII from shelves and stocking and shipping. The augmentation of the TLAMM-P is a great opportunity not only to bring readiness to the theater and INDOPACOM but also to train our Soldiers, meeting our training requirement to create ready forces for deployment,” said Reyes Perez.
The TLAMM-P, established in 2009 by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and managed by the U.S. Air Force’s 18th Medical Group (18th MDG), is responsible for War Reserve Materiel (WRM), operational medical logistics support across the Pacific theater (excluding the Korean Peninsula), and warehousing operations.
However, the Pacific region’s healthcare network is not robust enough to support the increased military medical needs.
Comprising nearly 60 million square miles, an area 20 times the size of the U.S. European Command theater, the Indo-Pacific region presents a variety of geographical and environmental challenges across islands and archipelagos which transform medical supply distribution networks into a “logistical nightmare,” explained Clark.
“These complicated distribution networks require diverse transportation methods, including air, sea, and land, across vast distances, austere environments, and limited infrastructure which present significant challenges to operational medical logistics,” he continued.
The TLAMM-P has a 4-tiered medical logistics company augmentation model to ensure it has the manning necessary to support the region through all stages of the competition continuum. However, the increased military presence and exercise operational tempo in the Pacific, including Operation Pacific Pathways which consists of more than 20 exercises in separate countries in 2025, has placed a demand on the TLAMM-P that leads to an unreliable Class VIII supply chain.
“The TLAMM-P is facing challenges in consistently and effectively providing Class VIII materiel support to Operation Pacific Pathways due to a lack of [personnel] augmentation,” said Clark.
Medical units must often transport Class VIII materiel and supplies from their home station to fulfill mission requirements, limiting the ability to bring essential theater-controlled substances and cold chain items (such as vaccinations and anesthesia) into the theater, with no resupply option for sustaining units.
“In the CNMI IRT, our veterinarians hand-carried narcotics from home station, with documentation, that were required for the mission [of spay and neuter clinics],” said Reyes Perez. “Normally, units can order from the local IMSA and carry items except narcotics and cold chain – that is ordered and shipped directly to the mission site.”
Identifying the critical risks within current TLAMM-P capabilities led to the proposed strategic solution of bolstering the TLAMM-P with seven 27-day rotations of 5-person 68J Forward Distribution Teams from the 807th TMC beginning in January 2026.
The 807th TMC has 11 medical logistics companies, and Reyes Perez intends to engage as many companies as possible that are in the appropriate Regionally Aligned Readiness and Modernization Model (ReARMM) cycle.
The proposed personnel augmentation also included an 88N, Transportation Coordinator, coming from the 9th Mission Support Command (MSC), 8th Theater Sustainment Command (TSC), or 79th TSC, to ensure an efficient use of transportation assets and reduce potential delays.
“TLAMM-P is currently not overwhelmed but also not fully supporting the missions, as units are hand-carrying their own Class VIII to the islands. But once everything is ordered through TLAMM-P, they will be,” said Reyes Perez.
The 807th TMC also offered 68As, Biomedical Equipment Specialists, to provide maintenance on biomedical equipment at TLAMM-P, but it was decided the current demand was manageable without augmentation.
The Army’s 18th TMC, identified by the INDOPACOM combatant commander as the Single Integrated Medical Logistics Manager (SIMLM) responsible for establishing the concept of support for all medical logistics in INDOPACOM, also supported the Army Reserve personnel augmentation. While the 18th TMC is a SIMLM, it does not have the required medical logistics capability in its subordinate units. There are a total of four medical logistics companies in the Army’s active component and 16 in the Army Reserve, with 11 of those assigned to the 807th TMC.
“This inefficiency could worsen if there is a sudden need to escalate to conflict without warning. Given these challenges, it's crucial for U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC) to support the TLAMM-P in improving its supply chain to meet the operational and tactical requirements of Army Forces in the Indo-Pacific region. USARPAC strategically utilizes the power of Compo 3 [Army Reserve] Forces to effectively bridge the gap in the medical logistics supply chain during the critical risk window,” said Clark.
| Date Taken: | 03.19.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 03.19.2025 16:19 |
| Story ID: | 493257 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 237 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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