Army News

PHC-P Soldier and entomologist promoted to lieutenant colonel
February 3, 2020 — Public Health Command – Pacific chief of Operations, Hee Kim, was promoted to lieutenant colonel on Jan. 1, 2020. In honor of Kim’s promotion, a ceremony was held Jan. 24 at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. Col. Heidi Mon., PHC-P commander, was the host of ceremony... MORE

Lt. Col. Frederick Davidson, Public Health Command-Pacific Human Health Services director, presents Lt. Col. Hee Kim, PHC-P chief of Operations, the Order of Military Medical Merit medallion at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, Jan. 24, 2020. Kim received the medallion for his distinguished service, excellence, and promoting fellowship and espirit de corps among Army Medical Department personnel. Membership in the order recognizes those individuals who have clearly demonstrated the highest standards of integrity and moral character, displayed an outstanding degree of professional competence, with selflessness, and have made a sustained contribution to the betterment of Army Medicine. (U.S. Army photo by Amber E. Kurka)

The benefits of dog walking
January 30, 2020 — Did you know that spending time with your pooch is a great way to work on the eight pillars of Total Force Fitness? While National Walk Your Dog Month is over, the health benefits can last all year long! So get up, get moving, and don’t let those frigid winter temperatures slow you down. Walking is a great way to keep you and your dog physically, psychologically, and socially fit this winter... MORE

Spending time with your dog is a great way to work on the eight pillars of Total Force Fitness. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, regular walking or playing with pets can decrease blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and triglyceride levels. Pets can also help manage loneliness and depression by providing companionship. (Courtesy photo)

Donating blood: One Soldier’s dedication to save lives
January 29, 2020 — Blood donations typically drop off during and immediately after the winter holidays, but the need for blood products never stops. This makes National Blood Donor Month in January a critical time for the Armed Services Blood Program. Since 1962, the ASBP has served as the sole provider of blood for the U.S. military... MORE

Pone Manoa, Tripler Army Medical Center registered nurse, prepares the arm of Sgt. Trevor Johnson, noncommissioned officer in charge of the Marine Corps Base Hawaii Veterinary Section, to donate blood platelets to the Armed Service Blood Program at TAMC, Hawaii, Jan. 16, 2020. The ASBP is the official blood collection, manufacturing and transfusion program for the U.S. military. The mission of the ASBP is to provide quality blood products and services for all worldwide customers in both peace and war. (U.S. Army photo by Amber E. Kurka)

What you need to know about measles
December 20, 2019 — According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, before the measles vaccine was available in 1963, nearly all children got measles by the time they were 15 years old. It was estimated that three to four million people in the U.S. were infected each year. In 2000, the measles virus was declared eliminated in the U.S., thanks to a highly effective vaccination program... MORE

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine is the best protection against the measles virus. The CDC reports that two doses of the MMR vaccine provides 97 percent protection against measles and one dose provides 93 percent protection. (Courtesy photo)

Antarctica: Where food safety matters
December 16, 2019 — Buried in a mile of glacier ice and often described as one of the world’s most hostile environments, Antarctica is a windy, polar desert with record breaking temperatures that can reach below -140° F. Due to its harsh winter climate, strong ocean currents, and dangerous sea ice formations, passage to Antarctica is difficult, making it the most remote and inaccessible continent in the world... MORE

Members of the National Science Foundation unload shipping containers and inventory the boxes of frozen food at Palmer Station, Antarctica, October 2019. The boxes of food were part of an annual resupply process for the station. Each box was inspected by U.S. Army Public Health Command-Pacific veterinary food safety officers to ensure the food was safe to eat and that no one would get sick from foodborne illnesses. (U.S. Army photo by Capt. Austin Leedy)

One Health Week highlights comprehensive public health concept
November 4, 2019 — According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, tens of thousands of people will get sick every year from diseases spread between animals, people, and the environment. Preventing the spread of disease and improving public health requires a One Health approach in which physicians, veterinarians, ecologists and Public Health officials work together to solve health issues using a multidisciplinary perspective... MORE

Observed during Nov. 2-9, One Health Week strives to raise awareness around the world to highlight the need for comprehensive public health using the One Health concept. The One Health concept explains the connection between human, animal, and environmental health. (U.S. Army graphic by Amber Kurka)

Public Health Command–Pacific team instrumental to Army water infrastructure improvements
October 23, 2019 — Potable water is essential to every community throughout the world - military communities are no exception. While discolored tap water is usually within U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards and safe to drink, the odd color can sometimes raise eyebrows and concerns from local residents... MORE

Michael Brown, Public Health Command-Pacific senior environmental engineer, collects a treated water sample from the water treatment plant at Fort Polk, La., April 9, 2019. The sample was analyzed for multiple contaminants that contribute to drinking water discoloration at the Army Public Health Center laboratory. (U.S. Army photo by Capt. Charles Bateman)

Flu season starts in the Pacific
October 18, 2019 — Wherever you are in the Pacific theater -near the Alaskan mountains, cruising along Interstate 5, or maybe visiting one of many exotic islands throughout the Indo-Pacific region - the flu season is here. While the inevitable cough or sniffle is bound to occur at some point this season, that doesn’t mean you or your crew should have to suffer from the flu... MORE

This year's flu season began Oct. 1, 2019. For more information about this flu season and additional ways to protect you and your crew from the flu visit the CDC website at: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/index.htm

Army Best Medic Competition features military working dogs for first-time
September 25, 2019 — Fifty-six of the top Army medical specialists worked to provide prolonged field care to simulated casualties during the Command Sgt. Maj. Jack L. Clark Jr. Army Best Medic Competition Sept. 25 at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington... MORE

Sgt. Nicholas Taussig, left, and Sgt. Michael Johnson treat a simulated military working dog casualty during the CSM Jack L. Clark Jr. Army Best Medic Competition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, Sept. 24, 2019.

Twenty-eight two-Soldier teams from all around the world traveled to Washington state to compete in the finals to be named the Army’s Best Medic. The competition is a 72-hour arduous test of the teams’ physical and mental skills. Competitors must be agile, adaptive leaders who demonstrate mature judgement while testing collective team skills in areas of physical fitness, tactical marksmanship, leadership, warrior skills, land navigation and overall knowledge of medical, technical and tactical proficiencies through a series of hands-on tasks in a simulated operational environment.

(U.S. Army photo illustration by John Wayne Liston/Released)