Instructor duty within the U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence (MEDCoE) is highly sought after and competitive. Despite the changes in the Army manning processes, DAM still strives to bring the best, most diverse Officers, NCOs, and Department of the Army Civilians into their formation. One of the most recent examples is DAM’s new First Sergeant 1SG Jessie Turner who completed a Change of Responsibility with MSG Eric Pelkey in May 2023. Although still relatively new to the DAM formation 1SG Turner has already began finding ways to improve the readiness and reach of an already great organization. The DAM team was lucky enough to see 1SG Turner promote and assume the First Sergeant mantle after his brief tenure as a certified instructor and NCOIC of the Army Flight Surgeon Course. He will absolutely be a continued asset to the team.
Progression and experience are vital for leadership within the U.S. Army. Key leaders are hand selected based on these things as well as the legacy they are creating. MSG Pelkey ensured the spirit of DUSTOFF was ever present during training and remained a forethought within the DAM. His efforts did not go unnoticed during the most recent MSG evaluation board. MSG Pelkey was selected to attend the US Army Sergeant Major Course where he will continue to build on his legacy while embodying the spirit of DUSTOFF along the way. There are mixed sentiments from the DAM as we say “goodbye” to MSG Pelkey, and “get to work” to 1SG Turner.
This summer is one of mass transition within the DAM organization. Many senior DAM instructors are moving on in their careers. This means the DAM is actively seeking new instructors to join their ranks. For those Active-Duty Army Flight Paramedics, Flight Surgeons, Aeromedical Evacuation Pilots, and/or Aeromedical Physician Assistants interested in instructor duty at the newly minted Fort Novosel (formally Fort Rucker), contact your branch manager for instructor duty request procedures. The DAM team is always seeking diverse experiences and expertise to enhance our programs of instruction. We look forward to building a stronger team and/or community at large.