WEBVTT 00:01.440 --> 00:01.860 mhm . 00:12.340 --> 00:16.080 Yeah , March 3rd 2021 marks the United 00:16.080 --> 00:18.000 States Army Dental Course 110th 00:18.000 --> 00:20.200 anniversary . Now , in the past , we'd 00:20.200 --> 00:22.311 be gathered together to celebrate our 00:22.311 --> 00:24.367 history and the contributions of our 00:24.367 --> 00:26.422 people . But in light of the ongoing 00:26.422 --> 00:28.533 pandemic , we are unable to gather in 00:28.533 --> 00:30.644 Mass . But the traditions that define 00:30.644 --> 00:32.867 our unique culture and reflect our Army 00:32.867 --> 00:35.033 values will always remain so . It's in 00:35.033 --> 00:36.978 that spirit that our senior dental 00:36.978 --> 00:39.144 leaders have come together from across 00:39.144 --> 00:41.256 the enterprise to offer our heartfelt 00:41.256 --> 00:43.367 gratitude to the soldiers , civilians 00:43.367 --> 00:45.589 and contractors of our Army dental care 00:45.589 --> 00:47.367 team . Our people truly are our 00:47.367 --> 00:49.589 greatest resource , and I want to thank 00:49.589 --> 00:51.811 you for all you do each and every day . 00:51.811 --> 00:53.978 Since 1911 , the Army Dental Corps has 00:53.978 --> 00:56.089 provided support services to military 00:56.089 --> 00:58.256 members and their families in garrison 00:58.256 --> 01:00.478 and abroad . It is important to reflect 01:00.478 --> 01:02.589 on how far we've come in an effort to 01:02.589 --> 01:04.811 understand where we are and where we're 01:04.811 --> 01:07.089 headed . In this environment of change , 01:07.089 --> 01:09.256 it is safe to say that none of us were 01:09.256 --> 01:11.478 here when the dental course started 110 01:11.478 --> 01:13.650 years ago . So let's review a little 01:13.650 --> 01:17.600 history for perspective in 17 75 . 01:17.620 --> 01:19.960 The Continental Army consisted of about 01:20.540 --> 01:23.120 18,000 soldiers . The dental fitness 01:23.120 --> 01:26.070 standards was to have enough opposing 01:26.070 --> 01:28.020 teeth to bite off the end of the 01:28.020 --> 01:31.130 gunpowder cartridge . Dental care was 01:31.130 --> 01:34.160 an individual soldiers responsibility , 01:34.540 --> 01:36.540 so soldiers who didn't who couldn't 01:36.540 --> 01:38.760 afford to see a dentist turned to 01:38.760 --> 01:41.420 family members , barbers , hospital 01:41.420 --> 01:44.430 stewards or even untrained soldiers for 01:44.430 --> 01:46.560 treatment . Fast forward to 19 oh one 01:46.940 --> 01:48.910 Army strength was around 85,000 01:48.910 --> 01:50.743 soldiers , and the Army hired 30 01:50.743 --> 01:52.632 contract dentists to provide them 01:52.632 --> 01:54.850 dental care . On March 3rd , 1911 , 01:55.000 --> 01:57.222 these contract positions were converted 01:57.222 --> 01:59.222 to commissioned officer billets and 01:59.222 --> 02:01.444 were organized into a professional Army 02:01.444 --> 02:03.690 dental corps . So in 1911 , as the Army 02:03.690 --> 02:05.468 Dental Corps was born , our end 02:05.468 --> 02:08.180 strength was exactly 30 officers . 50 02:08.180 --> 02:10.700 years later , in 1961 the dental core 02:10.710 --> 02:12.810 and strength was now around 2700 02:12.810 --> 02:15.850 officers in an 850,000 soldier army . 02:16.440 --> 02:18.218 The first two year Army General 02:18.218 --> 02:19.996 Dentistry residency program was 02:19.996 --> 02:22.218 established at Fort Hood , Texas . John 02:22.218 --> 02:24.440 F . Kennedy was inaugurated as the 35th 02:24.440 --> 02:26.551 president , and we were moving out of 02:26.551 --> 02:28.560 the post World War two era into the 02:28.570 --> 02:31.200 early stages of the Vietnam war era and 02:31.200 --> 02:33.310 into both the Cold War and the space 02:33.310 --> 02:35.143 age with broadening civil rights 02:35.143 --> 02:38.280 protests . In 2011 , our dental corps 02:38.280 --> 02:41.070 celebrated its 1/100 birthday . Officer 02:41.070 --> 02:43.730 and strength was around 1200 officers 02:43.760 --> 02:47.310 in an army of 565,000 soldiers . Barack 02:47.310 --> 02:49.310 Obama was the 44th president of the 02:49.310 --> 02:51.032 United States , and the war in 02:51.032 --> 02:53.032 Afghanistan was starting . Its 10th 02:53.032 --> 02:55.980 year in 2020 was marked by the Covid 19 02:55.980 --> 02:58.900 pandemic . As a global community , we 02:58.900 --> 03:01.480 significantly change the way we live 03:01.490 --> 03:03.820 and the way we work . It is especially 03:03.820 --> 03:06.000 true for those of us in the dental 03:06.000 --> 03:09.220 profession from standing up Covid 19 03:09.220 --> 03:11.170 positive dental emergency response 03:11.170 --> 03:13.600 teams demanding drive through testing 03:13.600 --> 03:16.240 sites to changing how we operate within 03:16.240 --> 03:18.680 our clinics are dental care . Teams 03:18.690 --> 03:20.857 have altered how we go about our daily 03:20.857 --> 03:22.630 business and have come up with 03:22.640 --> 03:25.050 innovative solutions to face these 03:25.050 --> 03:28.250 challenges creatively and effectively . 03:28.740 --> 03:30.851 These are all interesting facts , but 03:30.851 --> 03:33.184 so what ? What do we take from all that , 03:33.184 --> 03:35.760 and how does it help us now ? First , 03:35.760 --> 03:37.927 you have to know history to understand 03:37.927 --> 03:40.093 why things are happening without being 03:40.093 --> 03:41.871 constrained by its second , the 03:41.871 --> 03:43.927 institution of Army medicine and the 03:43.927 --> 03:46.093 dental corps have survived and thrived 03:46.093 --> 03:47.927 against the backdrop of constant 03:47.927 --> 03:50.260 economic , political and social changes . 03:50.260 --> 03:52.371 It's vitally important to be aware of 03:52.371 --> 03:52.060 what is happening without being 03:52.060 --> 03:54.610 distracted from our actual mission . We 03:54.610 --> 03:56.832 need to remain focused on the vision of 03:56.832 --> 03:58.888 army medicine to support the world's 03:58.888 --> 04:00.943 premier fighting force to defend our 04:00.943 --> 04:02.777 nation . As long as the Army has 04:02.777 --> 04:04.610 soldiers , the dental corps will 04:04.610 --> 04:06.554 continue to serve the Army and the 04:06.554 --> 04:10.190 nation honorably in war and peace time , 04:10.360 --> 04:12.680 supporting humanitarian assistance and 04:12.680 --> 04:15.990 disaster relief operations . Over the 04:15.990 --> 04:18.212 years , the Army dental care system has 04:18.212 --> 04:21.510 changed , reformed and reorganized each 04:21.510 --> 04:23.880 time , making it more responsive or 04:23.880 --> 04:26.420 relevant and ready to support the Army 04:26.420 --> 04:29.240 mission during past and current times 04:29.240 --> 04:31.200 of change , key and essential 04:31.200 --> 04:33.640 principles endured . So let us 04:33.640 --> 04:35.640 collectively focus on that which is 04:35.640 --> 04:38.010 enduring one . Maintaining the dental 04:38.010 --> 04:40.650 readiness of the force while ensuring 04:40.650 --> 04:42.550 our people are well trained and 04:42.560 --> 04:45.480 operationally ready to ensuring that we 04:45.480 --> 04:47.591 continue to provide high quality care 04:47.591 --> 04:49.147 in an environment of shared 04:49.147 --> 04:51.369 responsibility for patient and provider 04:51.369 --> 04:53.313 safety . Three developing officers 04:53.313 --> 04:55.480 enlisted N . C . O . S . And civilians 04:55.480 --> 04:57.424 who are technically proficient and 04:57.424 --> 04:59.780 capable clinicians , technicians 04:59.800 --> 05:02.620 teachers , administrators and leaders 05:02.630 --> 05:04.960 for continuing to tell our story , 05:05.440 --> 05:07.496 acknowledge our success and own it . 05:07.496 --> 05:09.440 Dentistry is profession in its own 05:09.440 --> 05:11.662 right . We must effectively communicate 05:11.662 --> 05:13.884 our value proposition to the warfighter 05:13.884 --> 05:16.750 Number five last and most importantly , 05:17.110 --> 05:19.200 taking care of each other and 05:19.200 --> 05:21.367 remembering that our army values won't 05:21.367 --> 05:23.589 change , they will continue to guide us 05:23.589 --> 05:26.560 toward the path of success . So let's 05:26.560 --> 05:28.890 see what the future holds . Continue to 05:28.890 --> 05:30.834 work together to build on our past 05:30.834 --> 05:32.890 successes , to sustain our legacy of 05:32.890 --> 05:34.779 excellence from all of us . Happy 05:34.779 --> 05:36.668 birthday . Happy birthday . Happy 05:36.668 --> 05:38.557 birthday . Happy birthday . Happy 05:38.557 --> 05:40.779 birthday . Happy birthday . Army Dental 05:40.779 --> 05:41.420 Corps . Army medicine is army stronger .