USAMMC-K integrates MEDLOG into Freedom Shield 25

Story by C.J. Lovelace

U.S. Army Medical Logistics Command

CAMP CARROLL, Republic of Korea — In a real-world scenario on the Korean Peninsula, the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Center-Korea serves as a major theater medical distribution node and provides the customer support interface for medical logistics and supply chain management.

USAMMC-K, in concert with partner agencies, demonstrated this capability throughout the Korean Theater of Operations, or KTO, during Freedom Shield 2025.

“USAMMC-K focused on providing in-depth expertise in medical logistics, assessing the availability and usage of materiel, and outlining distribution expectations,” said Maj. Myong “Mike” Pak, USAMMC-K’s deputy commander.

The 11-day exercise, which concluded March 21, aims to enhance readiness between Korean and U.S. forces in the KTO — a combined, joint, multidomain and interagency operating environment.

With goals of strengthening interoperability, reinforcing the alliance’s combined defense posture and increasing combat readiness and lethality, field training events included urban combat operations, field hospital operations, mass casualty treatment and evacuation, field artillery exercises and more.

USAMMC-K, a direct reporting unit to Army Medical Logistics Command, serves as the theater lead agent for medical materiel, or TLAMM, providing joint medical logistics support to U.S. Forces Korea.

Headquartered at Fort Detrick, Maryland, AMLC is the Army’s Life Cycle Management Command for medical materiel, tasked with delivering medical logistics, sustainment and materiel readiness from the strategic support area to the forward tactical edge to increase survivability and sustain fighting strength.

Pak said the simulated scenario provided “a realistic response environment,” in which USAMMC-K demonstrated its role as the TLAMM, facilitating information-sharing up and down the chain of command, while integrating MEDLOG requirements throughout the operation.

“This capability is essential for coordinating sensitive mission-related information, both locally and with higher headquarters,” Pak explained.

During the exercise, about 15 team members from USAMMC-K, including its command team and operations staff, worked alongside liaisons from the Air Force, Navy and Defense Logistics Agency.

“This collaboration underscored the importance of joint efforts in addressing complex medical logistics challenges,” Pak said.

USAMMC-K’s continued integration in larger exercises is crucial to overall medical readiness in theater. As the TLAMM for USFK, the center coordinates joint requirements in a unified effort, including working closely with its sister agency, the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Agency, which manages forward-staged equipment and supply that can be pushed into theater to support operations.

Pak said ensuring synergy throughout the medical supply chain allows leaders to visualize their operational environment more effectively, reinforcing feedback loops and improving processes.

“By fostering collaboration among joint services and improving operational processes, USAMMC-K not only prepares for potential contingencies but also contributes significantly to the overall mission of enhancing the readiness of USFK,” he said. “As challenges in the field continue to change, USAMMC-K’s commitment to training and integration ensures that it remains a vital component in supporting the health and operational effectiveness of our forces.”