Photo By Jon Connor | Dr. (Lt. Col.) Kimberley Phillips, U.S. Army Sustainment Command’s command surgeon,...... read more read more
Subscribe
ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill. – It’s been stated when you have your health, you have everything.
At U.S. Army Sustainment Command headquarters, the Office of the Surgeon works hard to ensure Soldiers and deployed personnel are in tiptop shape to complete its worldwide missions.
Leading that charge is Dr. (Lt. Col.) Kimberley Phillips, the command surgeon.
The ASC command surgeon plays a critical role in supporting ASC’s global mission by providing expert medical guidance to the commanding general and staff and leadership of its Army Field Support Brigades. This includes identifying, analyzing, and mitigating global health risks to ASC’s workforce, ensuring personnel remain medically fit for both deployment and home installation environments.
Maintaining optimal health among ASC personnel is essential to its overall mission. ASC has seven AFSBs strategically positioned around the world, providing warfighters the resources they need, whenever and wherever they need them. As the logistics arm of U.S. Army Materiel Command – its higher headquarters – ASC delivers essential supplies to Soldiers, from ammunition and equipment to food and uniforms, ensuring a globally ready force.
“The health of Soldiers and Department of the Army Civilians is one of the command’s top priorities,” Phillips said.
Assisting Phillips is the command surgeon noncommissioned officer in charge, Sgt. 1st Class Fidel Distel, the ASC combat medic. His responsibilities include overseeing medical training, ensuring Soldier readiness, and providing life-saving care in both clinical and field environments.
Soldier readiness, medically speaking, means ensuring Soldiers are free from health-related conditions that could limit their ability to carry out their duties and maintain a healthy, fit, and deployable force.
“I grew up with a strong sense of service and a desire to help others, which led me to join the Army,” explained Distel. “I’ve been in the military for over 12 years as a combat medic health care specialist. Throughout my career, I’ve had multiple assignments, including operational units and medical facilities, providing direct patient care and ensuring medical readiness for Soldiers.”
Distel’s work directly supports ASC by ensuring Soldiers are medically ready to deploy and sustain operations.
“Medical readiness is a key component of ASC’s mission because a force that isn’t healthy or fit for duty cannot sustain the Army’s logistical and operational needs. By providing medical support and training, I help maintain the strength and resilience of the force,” he explained.
The office also has a health administrator – Carter Meredith – who serves as the first line for ASC, AFSB commanders and their staff for administrative issues. He tracks all ASC medical readiness numbers to review and update a Soldier’s health status that includes immunizations, dental status, laboratory tests, physical exams, and deployment-related health assessments.
There is also an environmental science and engineering officer – Capt. Timothy Johnson – who provides environmental, safety, and public health subject matter expertise, along with conducting command inspections.
These biennial inspections are part of a commander’s program to address readiness issues to ensure a cohesive and focused approach to command objectives.
Unlike major military medical centers, Distel said, Rock Island Arsenal’s medical support is more focused on sustainment and readiness rather than large-scale patient care.
“The mission here requires a more strategic approach to medical support, ensuring Soldiers and Civilians working within ASC remain operationally effective,” Distel said.
Since medical personnel are generally not as familiar with military terms, Phillips can serve as a translator when needed for those Soldiers receiving off-post care.
She also provides guidance for ASC personnel involving administrative tasks including permanent changes of station, overseas assignments, convalescent leave forms for Soldiers’ recovery and return to duty after a medical condition, and medical retention determination points for Soldiers with complex recovery of injuries.
For them, a determination is made as their medical condition stabilizes and further treatment is unlikely to restore them to duty standards. This results in a referral to determine if a Soldier can or cannot perform the duties required of their military specialty, grade, or rank.
Phillips also facilitates service members’ medical readiness by ensuring they can complete their job and Soldier essential functions such as combat readiness, upholding the Army's core values, and participating in various missions, both domestically and internationally.
She also gives guidance to Soldiers about potential and recommended physical limitations/restrictions after procedures, acute injury/illness, acute exacerbations of chronic medical issues (either chronic pain due to old injury or surgery or chronic illness), and review of Soldier’s return to duty or recommendation for medical separation/retirement.
And finally, the command surgeon serves as the RIA public health emergency officer, which involves briefing installation commanders and staff about public health issues, like pandemics, but also gives recommendations during natural disasters, local disease outbreaks, food recalls, etc.
To stay on top of trending world medical issues, Phillips said she monitors health bulletins, threats, and risks wherever ASC has its employees.
“I utilize local, national, military, and global medical portals and answer questions from our Army Field Support Brigades and headquarters command chains,” Phillips said.
Distel said Phillips emphasizes looking beyond immediate tasks to see the big picture – how medical readiness fits into sustainment and operational success. Additionally, she has reinforced the value of leadership, accountability, and adaptability in a constantly evolving environment.
This strategic necessity influences Army medical readiness across sustainment operations, Distel said. Unlike traditional field units, ASC integrates logistics, medical support, and sustainment planning, giving Distel a broader perspective on Army healthcare operations, he added.
“She [Lt. Col. Phillips] encourages innovation and problem-solving, particularly when it comes to medical readiness and sustainment operations. Her leadership style inspires confidence and trust, making it easy to follow her vision for the mission,” Distel said. “I’m honored to serve alongside Lt. Col. Phillips and the ASC Surgeon Team.”
Serving at ASC has reinforced the idea that Army medicine is more than just providing care, it’s about ensuring the overall readiness of the force, Distel said.
“At RIA, the focus is on sustaining operational capabilities by ensuring Soldiers, Civilians, and leadership remain medically ready and resilient,” he said. “Army medicine isn’t just about treating injuries; it’s about proactive care, readiness planning, and integrating medical support into the Army’s broader sustainment mission.”
| Date Taken: | 04.02.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.02.2025 16:14 |
| Story ID: | 494418 |
| Location: | ROCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS, US |
| Web Views: | 28 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Command surgeon keeps operational readiness paramount at ASC, by Jon Connor, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
