‘The Army is a team sport’ – ‘Respect’ drives USAMMDA product… – DVIDS

Halfway between Philadelphia and Allentown sits Harleysville, Pennsylvania. Home to roughly 9, 900 Pennsylvanians, it has a long Mennonite heritage, the annual Apple Butter Frolic, and is the particular childhood hometown to one U. S. Army Maj. Andrea Mountney.

Today, Mountney serves with the U. S. Military Medical Materiel Development Activity at Fort Detrick, Maryland. As a Deputy Project Manager, Warfighter Protection and Acute Care (WPAC) Project Management Office, Mountney has her finger on the pulse of the team developing military medical treatments, vaccines, drugs, blood products and preventative care technologies that will one day help protect and sustain Warfighters across the globe.

Her bedrock value, the ethos that helps sustain her as a Soldier-Scientist around the forward edge of military health product development, one of the girl main reasons for serving? Respect.

“Our teams bring together a myriad of personalities plus perspectives from across the [Department of Defense] and cannot effectively function without ‘Respect, ’” said Mountney, who has served in the Army since commissioning like a second lieutenant in 2013. “The Army is a team sport. Each individual has a role to play, and each person brings an unique perspective, set of experiences, and approach to solving problems. As leaders, it is important that we create the conditions and emulate the particular behaviors that promote mutual respect so that each team member can bring their best self forward and we continue to develop and deliver medical capabilities to the Army and our joint forces. ”

Mountney has served in a variety of roles, including supporting ‘Operation Warp Speed, ’ the Circumstance. S. National Vaccination Campaign during the COVID-19 pandemic. She is no stranger to the flexibility and cooperation required to succeed as a member of a team dedicated to developing the treatments plus products that will preserve and protect America’s Warfighters. The WPAC mission is a complex one plus calls for a certain temperament to fully contribute being a leader among leaders.

The particular lessons of adaptability in the face of uncertainty, the particular hectic pace Soldiers maintain day-to-day, have served to help Mountney grow as a Soldier and as a leader, she stated.

“[I have learned to] operate (continuously) outside of my comfort zone. The Military will challenge you. It is an evolving machine in which the jobs, people, and frontrunners continue to change, ” mentioned Mountney. “The Army provides resources with regard to life-long learning. It encourages seeking new skills, credentials, degrees, and experiences which provide the tools needed to run successfully beyond your safe place. And once you have mastered that challenge, the cycle repeats itself. ”

Mountney has an extensive resume. Before commissioning in the Army, she graduated from Ursinus College in Collegeville, Pennsylvania before earning her doctorate from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore. Impressive qualifications for any doctor. So why does she prefer Army Combat Uniform plus boots over medical scrubs and non-skid tennis shoes?

The answer lies in the particular advice she offers regarding up-and-coming Soldiers entering the medical products development field.

“I think ‘Respect’ is the one of the biggest ones. We work in an organization that’s mission is to deliver medical products to the Warfighter, ” she said. “[W]e possess individuals through multiple different skill sets, and each individual brings that will unique viewpoint. So , if you’re not living, breathing, understanding ‘Respect, ’ you’re not going to be able to capitalize on those individual strengths. [U]sing that Army value of ‘Respect, ’ and always keeping it tucked away in your back pocket, and understanding it, is really important to getting the mission done. ’