The U.S. Army Medical Materiel Agency, a subordinate agency of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, honored the 98th graduating class of the Medical Logistics Management Internship Program (MLMIP) June 16.

The MLMIP is a six-month program hosted at USAMMA that strives to create strong medical logisticians. The course provides instructional programming on advanced technology; modern business practices and management techniques; Department of Defense systems and processes; DOD and civilian health care logistics; medical logistics support; and materiel acquisition.

Monte Kapec, the Deputy Chief of Staff, Procurement and the Head of the Contracting Activity, Office of The Surgeon General, served as keynote for the graduation ceremony held at the Defense Medical Logistics Center at Fort Detrick, Maryland.

"My personal insight on training and education is that it is about the experience, not the end product," said Kapec. "People make the difference. There is always an opportunity to learn and gain a lot from others."

Since its establishment, the MLMIP has graduated more than 479 Army officers, 136 noncommissioned officers, 10 warrant officers, four Navy officers and four civilians. Capt. Christopher Morgan, the MLMIP class leader for this session, noted that follow graduate Sgt. 1st Class Timothy White is the first Army medic to complete MLMIP. Other graduates included Chief Warrant Officer 3 Lee Nelson; Sgt. 1st Class Thomas Lucas; and Staff Sgt. Daniel Fletcher.

"The job of medical logistics is to get stuff, and get it quickly. We make it happen," said Morgan. "However, including a medic in this training helped to share how medical logistics 'happens,' so that we can all be efficient and effective at our jobs."

This graduation also marks the last ceremony for USAMMA Deputy Commander for Support Lt. Col. Niel Smith, who has lead the program for the past two years and will retire this year, turning the program's leadership over to LaTrish Jones.

"All of the things I have accomplished at USAMMA, I feel like this one of the most important things I have done," said Smith. "All of these graduates are the future leaders of tomorrow. They will take this experience with them to make them better soldiers, leaders and individuals."

To learn about the MLMIP program, visit http://www.usamma.army.mil/mlmip.cfm.