Defense Centers for Public Health-Aberdeen

Last updated
Army public health center logo.png

The U.S. Army Public Health Center (APHC) is a United States Army element headquartered at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, United States. As a forward operating agency of the United States Army Medical Command, APHC is responsible for providing technical support and expertise in the areas of preventive medicine, public health, health promotion, and wellness to military units around the globe. [1]

Contents

Throughout the history of warfare, armies have depended on clean water, wholesome food, sanitation, disease and injury prevention, hazard-free environments and other sound public health practices to keep Soldiers in fighting form. The Army Public Health Center has broadened the scope of the public health mission to meet today's Army's needs: to enhance Army readiness by identifying and assessing current and emerging health threats; developing and communicating public health solutions; and assuring the quality and effectiveness of the Army's Public Health Enterprise. [2]

John Resta serves as the director.

The Maryland Office of ORAU and the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education administers research participation programs for APHC. [3]

History

Before 2015

The lineage of the APHC can be traced back more than 70 years to the Army Industrial Hygiene Laboratory, which was established in 1942 at the beginning of World War II under the direct jurisdiction of the Army surgeon general. [4] AIHL originally was located at the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health; it had a staff of three and an annual budget of $3,000. Its mission was to conduct occupational health surveys and investigations within the Department of Defense industrial production base, a mission that proved beneficial to the nation's war effort. In October 1945, AIHL was transferred to what is now Aberdeen Proving Ground - South. From 1940 to 1960, AIHL's mission and personnel continued to expand, and AIHL became the U.S. Army Environmental Hygiene Agency (USAEHA) located at Edgewood Arsenal which was later merged with Aberdeen Proving Ground. During the 1960s and early 1970s, AEHA provided a variety of public health services to all US-based Army installations, including water supply, water and air pollution control, industrial hygiene, and others.

In 1973, USAEHA became a subordinate command of the U.S. Army Health Services Command (the latter later became the United States Army Medical Command). The following year, USAEHA was given command of the health and environmental resources of the Army medical laboratories. These assets became USAEHA subordinate commands.

In 1994, USAEHA was re-designated as the United States Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine. [5] In addition to its continental United States regional commands, USACHPPM also had two subordinate commands. In 1995, USACHPPM Europe was activated in Landstuhl, Germany, and USACHPPM Pacific was activated, moving in 1997 to Camp Zama, Japan.

In 2010, the center was merged with the United States Army Veterinary Command (VETCOM) to form U.S. Army Public Health Command. [6] VETCOM supported almost 500 DOD installations worldwide and included the DOD Veterinary Food Analysis and Diagnostic Laboratory and the DOD Military Working Dog Veterinary Service. Through this merger, a uniquely capable military organization was born—one that embodies the “One Health” approach to public health.

One Health is the concept that health in animals, people, and the environment is interrelated; that is, the health of each contributes to the health of all. The formal uniting of prevention, health promotion, and veterinary missions allowed for full coordination, synchronization, and integration of the military public health services around the globe.

USAPHC, inactivated on October 1, 2016, had six subordinate elements: the Army Institute for Health and five regional commands located at Fort George G. Meade in Maryland; Joint Base San Antonio in Texas; Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington; Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany; and Camp Zama in Japan. USAPHC's mission was to promote health and prevent disease, injury, and disability of Soldiers and retirees, their Families, and Army civilians, and to provide veterinary medicine services for the Army and Department of Defense. USAPHC also provided consulting services to senior military leaders, commanders both deployed and in garrison, and military medical and health professionals.

U.S. Army Public Health Center

USAPHC Toxicology Lab technician assessing samples USAPHC TOX Lab (6129598147).jpg
USAPHC Toxicology Lab technician assessing samples

The APHC reached provisional status on August 17, 2015 and full operating capacity on October 1, 2016.

Headquartered at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, the APHC is a field operating activity of the U.S. Army Medical Command, but it is unique among MEDCOM organizations in these ways:

Mission and Services

The APHC draws on a distinguished legacy to provide public health services to its Army and Department of Defense customers around the world. [7] It standardizes and promulgates practices and procedures used throughout the public health enterprise, provides one-of-a-kind and reach-back technical capabilities, and oversees quality assurance of public health missions.

The organization completes an extensive amount of analytical support to global operations and is responsible for the collection and archival of all deployment occupational and environmental health surveillance data.

APHC personnel have expertise in a variety of fields. Their professions include almost 70 scientific and technical disciplines, which are brought to bear on public health issues and problems in matrixed teams.

The APHC continues to fulfill its mission of enhancing Army readiness and focusing on promoting healthy people, communities, animals and workplaces. [8]

Criticism

In May, 2022 former Army Public Health Center Commander Lt. Mark Bashaw was convicted of violating orders to present a COVID-19 test to his superiors, to wear a mask indoors and to telework at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland. [9] The presiding judge declined to sentence him. Bashaw was subsequently joined by senior officers of all branches of the military in notifying Congress on August 15 that the Department of Defense is engaging in illegal and fraudulent acts that are endangering Service members and their families, as well as the American public whom the DOD is charged with protecting. [10] [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Sam Houston</span> US Army post in San Antonio, Texas

Fort Sam Houston is a U.S. Army post in San Antonio, Texas. Known colloquially as "Fort Sam," it is named for the U.S. Senator from Texas, U.S. Representative from Tennessee, Tennessee and Texas governor, and first president of the Republic of Texas, Sam Houston.

The Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center, formerly the United States Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center, is a military research complex and installation in Natick, Massachusetts, charged by the U.S. Department of Defense with the research and development of food, clothing, shelters, airdrop systems, and other servicemember support items for the U.S. military. It is a component unit of the United States Army Combat Capabilities Development Command and is a tenant unit of the United States Army Natick Soldier Systems Center (SSC). The installation includes facilities from all the military services, not just the Army, and is so configured to allow cross-service cooperation and collaboration both within the facility and with the many academic, industrial and governmental institutions in the Greater Boston Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Army Medical Command</span> U.S. Army direct reporting unit

The U.S. Army Medical Command (MEDCOM) is a direct reporting unit of the U.S. Army that formerly provided command and control of the Army's fixed-facility medical, dental, and veterinary treatment facilities, providing preventive care, medical research and development and training institutions. On 1 October 2019, operational and administrative control of all military medical facilities transitioned to the Defense Health Agency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walter Reed Army Medical Center</span> Military unit

The Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC), officially known as Walter Reed General Hospital (WRGH) until 1951, was the U.S. Army's flagship medical center from 1909 to 2011. Located on 113 acres (46 ha) in Washington, D.C., it served more than 150,000 active and retired personnel from all branches of the United States Armed Forces. The center was named after Walter Reed, a U.S. Army physician and sergeant who led the team that confirmed that yellow fever is transmitted by mosquitoes rather than direct physical contact.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Army Medical Department (United States)</span> U.S. Armys primary healthcare organization

The Army Medical Department of the U.S. Army (AMEDD), formerly known as the Army Medical Service (AMS), encompasses the Army's six medical Special Branches. It was established as the "Army Hospital" in July 1775 to coordinate the medical care required by the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. The AMEDD is led by the Surgeon General of the U.S. Army, a lieutenant general.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Army Veterinary Corps</span> Verterinary service of the U.S. Army

The U.S. Army Veterinary Corps is a staff corps of the U.S. Army Medical Department (AMEDD) consisting of commissioned veterinary officers and Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP) veterinary students. It was established by an Act of Congress on 3 June 1916. Recognition of the need for veterinary expertise had been evolving since 1776 when General Washington directed that a "regiment of horse with a farrier" be raised. It has evolved to include sanitary food inspectors and animal healthcare specialists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Army Medical Corps</span> Non-combat specialty branch of the U.S. Army Medical Department

The Medical Corps (MC) of the U.S. Army is a staff corps of the U.S. Army Medical Department (AMEDD) consisting of commissioned medical officers – physicians with either an M.D. or a D.O. degree, at least one year of post-graduate clinical training, and a state medical license.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valley Forge General Hospital</span> U.S. Army hospital, 1942-1974

Valley Forge General Hospital is a former military hospital in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. The hospital was near both Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Valley Forge. It was the only United States Army General Hospital named for a place.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Beaumont Army Medical Center</span> Hospital in Texas, United States

William Beaumont Army Medical Center is a Department of Defense medical facility located in Fort Bliss, Texas. It provides comprehensive care to all beneficiaries including active duty military, their family members, and retirees. The hospital is located in the Central/Northeastern part of El Paso, and provides emergency department services for Northeast El Paso. The current 1.1-million-square-foot, 6-building medical complex opened July 10, 2021 on East Fort Bliss. WBAMC is affiliated with the Paul L. Foster School of Medicine which is also located in El Paso, Texas. WBAMC is also a participating hospital for medical residents from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) and nursing students from the University of Texas at El Paso School of Nursing and the El Paso Community College Nursing School. The current commander of WBAMC is Colonel Brett Venable.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Army Test and Evaluation Command</span> U.S. Army direct reporting unit

The U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command, or ATEC, is a direct reporting unit of the United States Army responsible for developmental testing, independent operational testing, independent evaluations, assessments, and experiments of Army equipment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walter Reed Army Institute of Research</span> Biomedical research facility administered by the U.S. Department of Defense

The Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) is the largest biomedical research facility administered by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). The institute is centered at the Forest Glen Annex, in the Forest Glen Park part of the unincorporated Silver Spring urban area in Maryland just north of Washington, DC, but it is a subordinate unit of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command (USAMRDC), headquartered at nearby Fort Detrick, Maryland. At Forest Glen, the WRAIR has shared a laboratory and administrative facility — the Sen Daniel K. Inouye Building, also known as Building 503 — with the Naval Medical Research Center since 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Army Pigeon Service</span> US Army homing pigeon unit

The United States Army Pigeon Service was a unit of the United States Army during World War I and World War II. Their assignment was the training and usage of homing pigeons for communication and reconnaissance purposes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madigan Army Medical Center</span> Hospital in Washington, United States

The Madigan Army Medical Center, located on Joint Base Lewis-McChord just outside Lakewood, Washington, is a key component of the Madigan Healthcare System and one of the largest military hospitals on the West Coast of the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Army Combat Capabilities Development Command</span> U.S. Armys provider of nearly all basic and applied R&D services

The Combat Capabilities Development Command, is a subordinate command of the U.S. Army Futures Command. RDECOM was tasked with "creating, integrating, and delivering technology-enabled solutions" to the U.S. Army. It is headquartered at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland.

The United States Army Medical Research and Development Command (USAMRDC) is the United States Army's medical materiel developer, with responsibility for medical research, development, and acquisition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bureau of Medicine and Surgery</span> Agency of the U.S. Department of the Navy that manages health care activities

The Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED) is an agency of the United States Department of the Navy that manages health care activities for the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps. BUMED operates hospitals and other healthcare facilities as well as laboratories for biomedical research, and trains and manages the Navy's many staff corps related to medicine. Its headquarters is located at the Defense Health Headquarters in Fairfax County, Virginia. BUMED has 41,930 medical personnel and more than a million eligible beneficiaries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Army Communications-Electronics Command</span> U.S. Armys provider and maintainer of C5ISR capabilities

The Communications-Electronics Command (CECOM) is a Life Cycle Management Command (LCMC) of the United States Army based at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, United States. It is one of four such commands under the Army Materiel Command (AMC), and is the Army's provider and maintainer of Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) capabilities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Army Medical Department Center and School</span> U.S. Army school for the education and training of medical personnel

The U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence (MEDCoE) is located at Fort Sam Houston, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas. MEDCoE comprises the 32d Medical Brigade, the U.S. Army Medical Professional Training Brigade (MPTB), and the AMEDD Noncommissioned Officers Academy (NCOA). It serves the U.S. Army in educating and training all of its medical personnel. The Center formulates the Army Medical Department's (AMEDD's) organization, tactics, doctrine, equipment, and academic training support. In 2015, the mission for the Academy of Health Sciences (AHS) moved from the School to the Center, and was renamed the Department of Training and Academic Affairs (DoTAA) as result of a reorganization.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">28th Combat Support Hospital (United States)</span> Military unit

The 28th Combat Support Hospital was a Combat Support Hospital of the United States Army. It was first constituted in 1943 and served in China during World War II. During the Gulf War in 1990, it was the first Army hospital unit established and deployed into Iraq with combat forces of the XVIII Airborne Corps. More recently it has been involved in relief operations following natural disasters and has undertaken several recent deployments to Iraq. The unit fell under the command of the 44th Medical Brigade and was based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Military Whistleblower Protection Act of 1988 (MWPA), as amended at title 10, United States Code, Section 1034, and elsewhere, is an American law providing protection of lawful disclosures of illegal activity by members of the United States Armed Forces.

References

  1. "USAPHC Command Information Sheet 1" (PDF). Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  2. "U.S. Army Public Health Center | USAPHC". www.army.mil. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  3. "ORISE Research Participation Programs at the U.S. Department of Defense". Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  4. "About Us - Army Public Health Center". phc.amedd.army.mil. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  5. "USAPHC Command Information Sheet 2" (PDF). Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  6. "Creation of the U.S. Army Public Health Command". www.army.mil. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  7. "What is Public Health?" . Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  8. "Topics - Army Public Health Center". phc.amedd.army.mil. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  9. "Army officer convicted in first known COVID court-martial". 3 May 2022.
  10. Vliet, Dr Lee (2022-08-20). "Senator Ron Johnson Calls for Investigation Into Whistleblower Report of Illegal DoD Activity". Truth for Health Foundation. Retrieved 2022-08-21.
  11. "Whistleblower Report of Illegal DoD Activity". 18 August 2022.