Reservists play vital role serving injured Soldiers, KMC

Command Sgt. Major Craig Layton
Landstuhl Regional Medical Center

Reservists play an important role here at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center. As Soldiers from the 94th General Hospital prepare to return home after a year-long tour and Soldiers from the 349th General Hospital take their place, I want to make sure these new Soldiers have a smooth transition here at LRMC.
First of all, I am extremely proud of the service that our reserve components have given us in support of operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom. I cannot thank the 94th enough for dealing with a situation in which nobody knew how big the impact would be. Their efforts should be applauded. You can never tell what will happen tonight or tomorrow, and that is why the reservists have been here and why they will continue in their service.
The 94th did some great stuff while they were here. One of the reservists from the 94th, U.S. Army Spc. Charles Oke, was an honor graduate from the Primary Leadership Development Course while he was here. He also was the Soldier of the Year from Delta Company. I am extremely proud of that young Soldier’s accomplishments.
Another thing that I am proud of is the way we at LRMC have improved the quality of life for our incoming reservists. Anytime you receive a group as large as both the 94th and the 349th, you are faced with certain challenges.
We are challenged by logistics and transportation — especially here, where reservists are moving household goods and vehicles not paid for when people move on temporary, as opposed to permanent change of station orders. Housing also was a concern.
Improving quality of life for our reservists has been a shared effort. The 415th Base Support Battalion supports transportation, logistics and housing. We could not have accomplished this without their help.
What we have achieved regarding housing is a one-plus-one ratio. This is the ideal situation for reservists. It enables them to have their privacy, but also have someone there for conversation.
I want our new Soldiers to focus on their core mission, as many will need to be familiarized with basic Soldier skills. I will ensure that they are trained up to standard utilizing sergeant’s time training. I want them ready for any mission that may come along.
My feeling is that one person can make a difference. One person at any level can build or break an entire organization. I ask each individual in this organization to be the individual who builds. It truly makes a difference.