News & Information - The Mercury - September 2009 Mercury

by AMEDD Center and School

The AMEDD Center & School is promoting international engagement, partnerships and goodwill among accomplished international and U.S. senior level medical officers (0-5 and above) through a unique training opportunity called the Medical Strategic Leadership Program (MSLP.

The MSLP was established to provide training support that focused on strategic-level military medical leadership health issues, working within coalitions and alliances, with an emphasis on combating terrorism and providing a networking environment for military professionals. Students, who are handpicked by their countries, have included surgeons general from Afghanistan, Iraq, Moldova, Czech Republic, Philippines, Canada, Mongolia, Romania, and Nepal, as well as a number of deputy surgeons general.

More than 150 countries are eligible to attend under the Department of Defense Security Assistance Program, and more than 60 countries have sent officers. 

“Many of the international officers come with a negative view of the United States, based on CNN, movies and television shows. The MSLP serves as a networking tool that gives these senior officers a different and very positive image of our country and our military,” said Ken Knight, director of the MSLP.

Major areas of study during the three-week program are the United Nations, U.S. combatant commands, strategic leadership, international law, military medical readiness, host nation/coalition partner support, health resources allocation and management, non-governmental organizations, Washington-based think-tanks, counter-terrorism, homeland security, military-media relations, and medical observer training.

The first week at San Antonio, Texas, is for international students only and includes joint and U.S. Army medical policy, medical observation training, and tours. It includes a day trip to Fort Hood, Texas, where students meet with III Corps medical leadership and Soldiers who have deployed, see medical simulations training and equipment, and observe firsthand the outstanding strides being made in developing an environment focused on the Family.
At the beginning of the second week, the students from the U.S. join the rest of the class at the Center & School for strategic-level health care and leadership presentations, including student briefings about their countries.

The last week is spent in New York City and Washington D.C., where students are briefed at the United Nations and the joint staff at the Pentagon, by congressional leadership, the State Department, the Department of Veterans Affairs, The Surgeon General, and several premier think tanks, such as the Center for Strategic & International Studies, the Heritage Foundation and American Enterprise Institute. Students have military-media discussions with a major media organization, such as US News & World Report, USA Today or Reuters.

Students visit Mount Vernon, the Smithsonian Museums, the White House, the Capitol, various monuments and perform a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.
MSLP attendees are given the opportunity to meet senior military medical leaders from all over the world, conduct open discussions about international relations, share lessons learned, invalidate stereotypical preconceptions, and develop lifelong professional and personal relationships.

U.S. officers interested in participating in the Medical Strategic Leadership Program should contact their Corps chiefs.

From the September 2009 Mercury, an Army Medical Department publication.