CAMP CARROLL, Republic of Korea -- The U.S. Army Medical Materiel Center-Korea has received U.S. Army Materiel Command’s battalion-level Exceptional Organization Safety Award.

USAMMC-K, a direct reporting unit of the U.S. Army Medical Logistics Command, earned the honors for its implementation of key safety programs designed to protect and empower the workforce. USAMMC-K will now go on to compete in an Army-wide safety competition later in 2023.

“I am proud of our USAMMC-K command. There is no surprise that their constant excellence in setting high standards in safety enforcement is being recognized at the highest level,” AMLC Commander Col. Tony Nesbitt said.

USAMMC-K Commander Lt. Col. Mark Sander said this is the first time the organization has been selected for a safety award at the four-star level.

“Every organization should be expected to be safe, but it takes attention and alignment of attitudes and priorities from the top to the bottom,” Sander said. “It is absolutely meaningful in this case, where consistent excellence in doing the right thing -- although expected -- merits acknowledgement when it is achieved.”

Choe, Chae-hun, USAMMC-K’s safety and occupational health specialist, said the award represents quite an achievement for the workforce, which has been dedicated the center’s safety programs that have led to 13 straight years without any major incidents.

“This means a lot,” Choe said. “It means the higher command recognizes our effort to safeguarding Army readiness so we can ‘Fight Tonight.’ We take this as a great honor and will do our best to keep up this outstanding safety culture and accident-free trends.”

Echoing Choe, Sander, too, credited the small, yet mighty staff of military, civilians, local nationals and contractors for holding each other to high safety standards each and every day.

“As a sustainment organization, we measure productivity in so many ways that depend on the workload and throughput of our entire staff working together,” Sander said. “The workflows and interdependencies across the team rely on professionalism and trust in accurate details and consistent output. Safety is inside that process because it creates confidence and efficiency.

“Each member of the team depends on and deserves assurance that they can trust each other to do the right things, look out for each other, and be there the next day because they are essential.”

USAMMC-K is designated as the theater lead agent for medical materiel, or TLAMM, for military and joint forces operating throughout the Korean Peninsula.

With a workforce of about 65 people, the unit provides direct medical materiel support for theater medical forces, ensures and assists tactical units are integrated in other end-to-end supply chain, and assists combatant commands in health logistics support planning.

The AMC award follows USAMMC-K receiving the Army Safety Excellence Streamer in October 2022. The streamer signifies 12 consecutive months without a serious incident involving personnel or property and 100% participation in required risk management courses among its personnel within the last 24 months.

Among other past recognitions for safety, USAMMC-K also was selected by Eighth Army in fiscal year 2019 as one of three units on the Korean Peninsula to receive its Exceptional Organization Safety Award.

“USAMMC-K continues to lead by example and live up to the priorities of AMLC and our higher headquarters to provide a safe work environment and put our people first,” said Ralph Davis, AMLC’s safety manager. “We’re proud of the dedicated professionals in Korea and throughout our global footprint for always adhering to strong safety practices and promoting a culture that protects and enables our workforce to stay mission ready.”