U.S. Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois visited the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command July 13 to learn more about how Army medicine supports the Warfighter.

Senate Minority Whip Durbin is the vice-chairman of the Senate Appropriations Defense Committee. The visit provided the senator with the opportunity to learn the organization's programs and to meet with some of the nation's top subject matter experts in their fields.

The USAMRMC is the U.S. Army's medical materiel developer, with responsibility for medical research, development, and acquisition and medical logistics management. The USAMRMC's expertise in these critical areas helps establish and maintain the capabilities the Armed Forces need to fight and win on the battlefield.

Durbin's visit was the result of his Health Policy Advisor Dr. Beth Wilker and Science Advisor Dr. Jasmine Hunt visiting the USAMRMC in June.

"We understood the importance of the work being done here," Hunt said. "We wanted to make sure that Senator Durbin came and saw first-hand the research being conducted by USAMRMC scientists and the impact on the Soldier."

Kenneth Bertram, M.D., Ph.D., USAMRMC Principal Assistant for Acquisition, kicked off the tour by providing Durbin and members of his staff with a brief on the organization's unique capabilities. Bertram also gave a historical overview of the USAMRMC's research efforts, the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical and Biological Defense partnership and the role of Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs.

"A large percentage the science and technology coming out of Army medicine laboratories is a collaborative effort between industry, academia and the government," Bertram said. "It is the fastest way for us to find solutions to support the Soldier."

The tour showcased how the USAMRMC medical research efforts have improved medical care for Warfighters from enlistment and throughout their lives. Walking through the medical lanes at the Telemedicine and Advance Technology Research Center, USAMRMC researchers shared with Durbin their research on products that improved battlefield survivability, telehealth, medical evacuation, infectious disease detection and treatment and prosthetics for amputees.

"We're very honored to have Senator Durbin visit us so that we could show him all the great things that the folks here at Fort Detrick are doing to support our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines," said Bertram. "With all that Senator Durbin does to support the military through his work, we appreciate the opportunity to showcase the importance of the research that comes out of Army medicine laboratories."

Before leaving Fort Detrick, Durbin shared that he has been a longtime supporter of military medicine and that he saw the value in the research being conducted at USAMRMC. He thanked the researchers for all that they do in support of the Warfighter.