U.S. Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island visited Fort Detrick Feb. 8 to learn more about how Army Medicine and other organizations on post support the Warfighter.

Reed, the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, and members of his staff visited the installation for briefings regarding the capabilities to research and respond to worldwide emerging infectious disease threats and to tour the Biological Safety Level 4 laboratories located on Fort Detrick.

"It was an honor to have Sen. Reed 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 Maj. Gen. Brian C. Lein, commander of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command and Fort Detrick.

In addition to meeting with subject matter experts, Reed received briefings about the USAMRMC, the Medical Counter Measures Joint Program Management Office and the National Center for Medical Intelligence.

The group toured the existing USAMRIID BSL4 training facility, observed a BSL4 laboratory and toured the new USAMRIID facility currently under construction.

Reed and his staff also toured other federal agency facilities on Fort Detrick under the National Interagency Biodefense Campus, specifically the Integrated Research Facility of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center.

"During Sen. Reed's visit, we were able to show him the facilities, expertise and capabilities that allow Fort Detrick to carry out our mission of protecting the Warfighter from threats -- known and unknown -- and also how our work impacts populations around the globe," said Lein.