ATAMMC Change of Responsibility Program

CHANGE OF RESPONSIBILITY

Friday, May 17, 2024

SEQUENCE OF EVENTS

Opening Remarks

Sergeant First Class Sonia Davis

Arrival of the Official Party & Honors

Parading of the Colors

A.T. Augusta Military Medical Center Joint Color Guard

National Anthem

Lieutenant Colonel Chelsea Hamilton

Invocation

Chaplain TBD

Presiding Officer

Colonel Elba M. Villacorta

Remarks

Command Sergeant Major Dedraf T. Blash

Passing of the Hospital Colors

Incoming Remarks

Command Sergeant Major Tanya R. Boudreaux

Armed Forces Salute

Departure of the Official Party

PRESIDING OFFICER

U.S. Army Colonel Elba M. Villacorta

Colonel Elba M. Villacorta currently serves as the Director of Alexander T. Augusta Military Medical Center (ATAMMC), and previously served as the Command Nurse Executive of Medical Readiness Command, Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii. Prior to this, she served as the Brigade Commander, Public Health Command, Pacific from 2020-2022, a geographically dispersed brigade with 26 locations across ten countries and four states throughout the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, providing environmental, preventive medicine, and veterinary support.

Born in San Salvador, El Salvador, Col. Villacorta immigrated to America when she was six years old, settling with her family in Los Angeles, California. She was commissioned in the Army Nurse Corps in July 1997 through the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC). Her civilian education includes a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Southern California in 1997 and a Master of Science in Nursing Administration with a minor in Education and Informatics from the University of Texas Health Science, San Antonio, in 2008. She is a board-certified Operating Room Nurse.

Colonel Villacorta’s military schools include the Army Medical Department (AMEDD) Officer Basic and Advance Course, Perioperative Nursing Course, Combat Casualty Care Course, the Combined Arms & Services Staff School, Command & General Staff College, the Defense Strategy Course, the AMEDD Executive Skills Course, the Interagency Institute for Federal Health Leaders Course, the AMEDD Pre-Command Course, and the Joint Medical Executive Skills Institute Intermediate Executive Skills Course. Col. Villacorta is a 2017 graduate of the Army War College with a Master of Strategic Studies.

Colonel Villacorta served in various leadership and staff positions throughout her Army career, including U.S. Army Medical Activity (MEDDAC), Heidelberg, Germany, where she served as a Clinical Staff Nurse in a multi-service ward; Madigan Army Medical Center, Washington, serving as a Post-Surgical Staff Nurse and Operating Room Staff Nurse; Brooke Army Medical Center, Texas serving as an Operating Room Staff Nurse. She assumed command of Brooke Army Medical Center Delta Company in 2004. In 2008, she became the Nurse Officer in Charge of the Operating Room and Central Material Service at Munson Army Health Center, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; deployed with Task Force 115th to Camp Cropper, Iraq as the Officer in Charge of the Surgical Services from 2008-2009 then returned to Munson as the Chief of Perioperative Nursing Services. In 2010, she was selected to serve at the U.S. Army Human Resources Command at Fort Knox, Kentucky as an Assignment Officer for over 1000 Lieutenants and later served as the Executive Officer for the 3rd Medical Recruiting Battalion. She commanded the McAfee U.S. Army Health Clinic, White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, from 2014 to 2016, a Centralized Selection List (CSL) battalion command. Afterward, she served as an Arroyo Center Research Fellow in Santa Monica, California, with a follow-on utilization tour at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany as the Surgical Services Service Line (3SL) Director and later as the Deputy Commander for Inpatient Services.

Colonel Villacorta’s awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Armed Forces Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, Overseas Service Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Meritorious Unit Commendation Award, Army Superior Unit Award, and German Proficiency Badge. She is a member of the Order of Military Medical Merit.

OUTGOING SENIOR ENLISTED LEADER

U.S. Army Command Sergeant Major Dedraf Blash

Command Sergeant Major Dedraf Blash currently serves as the Command Senior Enlisted Leader at Alexander T. Augusta Military Medical Center (ATAMMC). She entered the U.S. Army in January 2000. She completed Basic Training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri and Advance Individual Training at Fort Sam Houston, Texas for MOS 91B Combat Medical Specialist.

Command Sgt. Maj. Blash previous assignments include the 10th Combat Support Hospital at Fort Carson Colorado, 702nd Main Support Battalion at Camp Casey Korea, 565th Ground Ambulance Company at Fort Polk, La., 232nd Medical Battalion at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, McDonald Army Health Center at Fort Eustis, VA., US Army Africa at Vicenza, Italy, 27th Brigade Support Battalion at Fort Hood, Texas, 581st Area Support Medical Company at Fort Hood, 547th Area Support Medical Company at Fort Hood, Madigan Army Medical Center at Joint Base Lewis McChord, Regional Health Command Pacific at Joint Base Lewis McChord, and as the Sergeant Major for Schofield Barracks Health Clinic Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. She previously served as the Command Sergeant Major for the Weed Army Community Hospital at Fort Irwin, Calif.

Command Sgt. Maj. Blash military education includes all levels of the Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development System including the United States Sergeant Major Academy (Class 68). She also attended Drill Sergeant School, Battle Staff Noncommissioned Officers Course, Battle Staff Instructor Course, Master Resiliency Trainer Course, SHARP Course, Basic Healthcare Administrative, Security Operations Certification Training Course, Joint Medical Executive Skills, and the Battalion and Brigade Pre-Command Course and Command Sergeant Major Development Course.

Command Sgt. Maj. holds a Master’s in Science Management with a concentration in Organizational Leadership from Excelsior College graduating Summa Cum Laude, Doctor of Strategic Leadership from Liberty University, and a Juris Master’s in Health Law.

Command Sgt. Maj. Blash operational deployments include Iraq in support of OIF I and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. Her awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit; Bronze Star Medal; Meritorious Service Medal, 6th Award; Army Commendation Medal, 8th Award, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Army Achievement Medal, 6th Award; Army Good Conduct Medal, 7th; Iraq Campaign Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Korea Defense Service Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary; NATO Medal, Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon with numeral 5; Army Service Ribbon; Overseas Service Ribbon with a numeral 4, Meritorious Unit Award, Drill Sergeant Badge and Combat Medical Badge.

Command Sgt. Maj. Blash is a member of the International Honors Society of Business, American Bar Association, Honorary member of the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club, 2010 John Teal Leadership Awardee and Order of Military Medical Merit.

INCOMING SENIOR ENLISTED LEADER

U.S. Army Command Sergeant Major Tanya R. Boudreaux

Command Sergeant Major Tanya R. Boudreaux was born and raised in Lafayette Louisiana. She entered the U.S. Army on January 16, 1997 and completed Basic Combat Training at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. and advanced individual training as an Animal Care Specialist (68T) at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

Command Sgt. Maj. Boudreaux has over 20 years of military service, her assignments include Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Washington, D.C., Armed Forces Radiobiological Research Institute Bethesda, Md., Redstone Arsenal Veterinary Clinic, Huntsville, Ala. She served as a Drill Sergeant/Senior Drill Sergeant, Delta Company 264th at Sheppard Air Force Base, Wichita Falls, Texas; Operations NCO at Great Plains Regional Veterinary Command, Fort Sam Houston, Texas; Detachment Sergeant, 64th Medical Detachment, Kaiserslautern, Germany; while there she deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom 11-12; First Sergeant, Public Health Activity - Hood; Senior Operations NCO, Public Health Command Central - JBSA. Clinical Operations SGM, 1st Medical Brigade - Hood, Sergeant Major, MEDDAC-Japan, Command Sergeant Major, MEDDAC-Bavaria.

Command Sgt. Maj. Boudreaux has completed all levels of the NCOES Courses, as well as the Company Commander and First Sergeant Course, Battle Staff, Drill Sergeant School, and the U.S. Army Sergeant’s Major Academy (Class 69). She also completed the Senior Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education course, the Master Resiliency Trainer course, the Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Course, and the Practice Manager Course. Her civilian education includes a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the American Military University and a Master’s degree in Human Services Counseling: with a cognate in Addictions and Recovery from Liberty University, she is currently working on her Doctorate in Psychology.

Command Sgt. Maj. Boudreaux’s awards and decorations include: The Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (6th OLC), the Joint Commendation Medal, the Army Commendation Medal (5th OLC), the Army Achievement Medal (2 OLC), Army Good Conduct Medal (8th award), National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal (2 star), Global War on Terrorism Medal, NCO Professional Development Ribbon (Numeral 5) Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon (Numeral 2), the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, the Army Superior Unit Award, the Meritorious Unit Commendation Award, the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, the Drill Sergeant Badge. She is a recipient of the Order of Military Medical Merit.

ARMED SERVICES MEDLEY

Semper Paratus

So here’s the Coast Guard marching song, We sing on land or sea. Through surf and storm and howling gale, High shall our purpose be.

“Semper Paratus” is our guide, Our fame, our glory too, To fight to save or fight and die!

Aye! Coast Guard we are for you!

Semper Supra

We’re the mighty watchful eye, Guardians beyond the blue. The invisible front line, Warfighters brave and true. Boldly reaching into space, There’s no limit to our sky. Standing guard both night and day, We’re the Space Force from on high!

The Air Force Song

Off we go into the wild blue yonder, Climbing high into the sun; Here they come zooming to meet our thunder, At ‘em now, Give ‘em the gun! Down we dive, spouting our flame from under, Off with one helluva roar!

We live in fame or go down in flame. Hey!

Nothing’ll stop the U.S. Air Force!

Anchors Aweigh

Anchors Aweigh, my boys, Anchors Aweigh.

Farewell to foreign shores, We sail at break of day-ay-ay-ay. Through our last night on shore, Drink to the foam, Until we meet once more. Here’s wishing you a happy voyage home.

The Marines’ Hymn

From the Halls of Montezuma

To the shores of Tripoli; We fight our country’s battles In the air, on land, and sea; First to fight for right and freedom And to keep our honor clean; We are proud to claim the title Of United States Marine.

The Army Goes Rolling Along

First to fight for the right, And to build the Nation’s might, And the Army goes rolling along. Proud of all we have done, Fighting till the battle’s won, And the Army goes rolling along.

Then it’s hi! hi! hey!

The Army’s on its way. Count off the cadence loud and strong; For where’er we go, You will always know That the Army goes rolling along.

OUR HISTORY

As a result of the Base Realignment and Closure recommendations released May 13, 2005, the decision was made to close DeWitt Army Community Hospital and Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Fort Belvoir Community Hospital is part of the recommendation which required realigning staff and resources from DeWitt and Walter Reed to modern health care facilities at the new Walter Reed National Military Medical Center at Bethesda — formerly National Naval Medical Center Bethesda — and here at Fort Belvoir by Sept. 15, 2011. The recommendations became law Nov. 9, 2005.

In November 2007, hospital leaders joined with Department of Defense and Fort Belvoir

Garrison leaders, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, local community leaders and design and construction contract partners to break ground for a new, state-of-the-art facility on the site of Fort Belvoir’s South Post Golf Course.

On Aug. 31, 2011, Fort Belvoir Community Hospital began serving patients with the arrival of a patient transferred from DeWitt Army Community Hospital. The new hospital is more than 1.2 million square feet, and includes 120 state-of-the-art inpatient rooms. It consists of four ambulatory clinical centers, a seven-story inpatient tower, Central Utilities Plant and two parking garages. Using the latest developments in Evidence-Based Design,

the facility features single patient rooms, an Intensive Care Unit and state-of-the-art operating rooms, cancer care center, a center for the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders, and a full range of primary care, medical and surgical subspecialties.

On May 16th, at 2:00 p.m., the Defense Health Agency (DHA) conducted a renaming and dedication ceremony of Fort Belvoir Community Hospital (FBCH). The community hospital now bears the name of

Alexander T. Augusta Military Medical Center (ATAMMC) to honor Lt. Col. (Dr.) Alexander Thomas Augusta, the highest-ranking black officer in the Union Army, the first black professor of medicine at Howard University in Washington D.C. and the first black officer to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

ATAMMC is part of the Defense Health Agency’s National Capital Region Medical Directorate, a Department of Defense joint-service medical command based in Bethesda, Md.

The Command Sergeant Major is the Senior Non-commissioned Officer in a unit who advises the Commander on all issues related to the enlisted ranks. Commanders employ their Command Sergeants Major throughout an area of operations to extend command influence, assess morale of the force, and assist during critical events.