Call to Order: The Fort Detrick Branch COA meeting convened 1800 hrs at the FT Detrick facility with LCDR Rick Gussio, CAPT Steve Wickizer and LCDR Lucienne Nelson of the Executive Committee present. Members present included CAPT Bobby Brown, LCDR Katherine Berkhousen, LT Gregory Langham, and LTJG Destry Sillivan.

Reading of minutes: Meeting minutes were approved as written.

Treasurer’s report: Members present were reminded to designate Ft. Detrick as their Branch affiliation on National COA membership renewals.

Other reports: No other reports.

Introduction of newly elected members: No new election held.

Reports of Standing Committees: Formation of other committees was postponed until membership has had an opportunity to expand.

Unfinished Business: Our mission statement is an important task the membership needs to undertake. This will be an agenda item for a future meeting.

The plans for a trifold Branch brochure continue.

New Business:

• LCDR Gussio introduced LCDR Dan Beck of OEP/CCRF to whom the entire meeting was devoted to present the CCRF program and entertain any questions.

LCRD Beck opened the presentation with a general discussion about CCRF, website updates and officer information. A nine-page handout to accompany the slide show was made available to all. LCDR Nelson has extra copies of the handout available if officers would like to receive this handout. The CCRF mission, history of its formation, and previous activations were featured, complete with pictures from the deployments. A true sense of the diversity of assignments was conveyed. LCDR Beck detailed the training requirements, predominantly web-based, to be completed by January 2002 to remain fully qualified status. Of particular importance, LCDR Beck stressed the need for officers to log-in at least monthly to keep active on the rosters. This is tracked and documents an officer’s commitment to keeping up-to-date on CCRF postings and issues. Training opportunities are also announced on the web site. A lengthy question and answer period engaged all officers present and fulfilled those burning questions. LCDR Beck did an outstanding job portraying the CCRF and the detail needed by members present. Several officers expressed a strong desire to meet the roster-ready requirements. This session was also very helpful to those of us who are already on CCRF rosters. Details of the uniform, FMRB, and NEPA awards, and projected training opportunities were discussed in greater detail. LCDR Beck announced the Military Training Network (MTN) has been amended to now include PHS officers as full members for available training. Prior to this, PHS officers were only admitted on a Space A basis. More to be posted on this in the near future.

The Ft Detrick Branch extends a warm thank you to LCDR Beck and all of the OEP staff for the phenomenal work they have done with CCRF and the future vision they continue to fulfil. We look forward to our affiliation with CCRF in providing fitness testing and other joint efforts toward the readiness mission.

We concluded our meeting with refreshments and social exchange.

Nat’l COA reading and actions:

National COA annual meeting was (May 28-June 1, 2001) held in Washington, DC in June. This was an exciting and productive meeting. Branch members CAPT Caviness, LCDR Gussio and CAPT Pyler made presentations at the meeting.

Program:

Our Branch priority is to focus on increasing our membership. Ongoing efforts are in the planning stages.

Nominations and elections:

Search for a C.O. for the Military Standards Cadre continues. This individual functions as a liaison regarding MSC and directs inquiries accordingly.

Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 2030 hrs following plans to meet again every second Wednesday of every odd month. Next meeting set for July 11, 2001 1800 hrs in Bldg. 426 on the Ft. Detrick installation. This is our regular meeting place. Future meeting dates are posted on the Branch web page. The Ft Detrick Branch will hold an informal promotion ceremony for officers that are promoted in the July or September meeting.

LCDR Lucienne Nelson

Secretary