During a ceremony filled with laughter and hope for the future, a class of medical logistics interns graduated from the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Agency's Medical Logistics Management Internship Program June 18.

The USAMMA is a unique, multifaceted organization whose central purpose is to execute medical logistics programs that directly support Army readiness, while building and enabling health readiness. The USAMMA has had a class of medical logisticians graduate with an overview of the support provided to the health care environment every year since 1967. The MLMIP provides mid-career medical logistics officers, warrant officers, noncommissioned officers and civilians advanced medical logistics training.

"One of the big surprises for our interns when they arrive is that USAMMA is not just one big warehouse," said Lt. Col. Niel Smith, MLMIP program director. "We take away all of the preconceived notions that people have about USAMMA, show them the big picture and produce the Army's future senior medical logisticians."

Their training encompasses all facets of advanced medical logistics from focused logistics to supply chain management principles. The interns are exposed to modern Department of Defense and civilian health logistics business practices as well as non-medical industry exposure. This gives the MLMIP students knowledge to better support the healthcare team and improve the readiness of the force.

"All the site visits to hospitals and logistics facilities, all the training and tools we equip them with in this program, they are all needed for these interns to make a difference and be the one with the answers or to know the source for the answers when issues come up," Smith said. "We want our graduates to be able to incorporate these practices that we teach them into their future assignments and be a leader."

The MLMIP is a six-month program offered twice a year, beginning in January and July. The class is a mix of site visits to locations like FedEx and Walter Reed Army Medical Center and formal classroom instruction. The MLMIP instructors focus on reinforcing the student's logistics foundation, adding another piece to their professional knowledge and skills and expanding their network affiliations in the DOD and civilian health care environments. As a result, when the graduates leave the program, they are equipped with the advanced training needed to succeed in an ever changing military environment.

During the ceremony, USAMMA Commander Col. David R. Gibson congratulated the interns and told them that they were now part of a special network that they should utilize.

"Use the connections you have forged during your time here," Gibson said. "A lot of the people sitting in this room today are graduates of this program. Those graduates and the entire USAMMA team are here to support you - we are all vested in your success."

The MLMIP graduating class included Capt. Tericka L. Washington, Capt. Jennifer S. Moore and Sgt. 1st Class Sidra Z. Sanks.

The MLMIP is open to all services and DOD civilians.