Vol. 32, No. 4
January 8, 2016
Composing an End for John Frazier Glenn JEFFREY SOARES
USAMRMC PUBLIC AFFAIRS (SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT)
Although stories are supposed to start at the beginning, this one starts at the end — the end of a brilliant 45-year career of faithful service to our country. But we’ll soon discover that the beginning is pretty darn good as well. As I await my interview with Dr. John Frazier Glenn, Principal Assistant for Research and Technology of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, I revisit all of the questions I have planned regarding his retirement on Dec. 31. Quite honestly, I don’t know what to expect. I think back to the time I spent working at the USAMRMC Headquarters — I recall Glenn walking briskly through the halls, participating in command-wide meetings, taking the occasional cigarette break outside of the building — and I can only remember how preoccupied he always seemed to be. It looked as if he were always on his way to something big, somewhere else, and continually rushing to get there.
In character, Glenn steps quickly into his office where I am waiting, and he greets me with a bright smile and a strong handshake, which puts me more at ease. “Well, welcome back!” he says. After my reply of gratitude, we get down to the business of why I’m here, and I waste no time in asking Glenn to describe the role he played within the USAMRMC and the Army during these past decades. “My job is making others successful,” says Glenn. Although he continues as my recorder rolls on, I pause a moment to absorb this. I guess I was expecting something different; maybe even hoping for something more. But as he talks and I listen, I realize this is all I really need, and things begin to crystalize very quickly for me. However, the backstory is still very interesting indeed. “Well, I spent the first 18 years of my life in Dalton, Georgia, but my parents were from North Carolina,” Glenn explains. “My father moved us to Georgia to take over the family business in the talc industry, so I grew up
there, but we always had a close and personal connection with North Carolina.” Glenn tells me that his father and both grandfathers all attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, as did Glenn for his undergraduate degree in physiological psychology. This tradition has much to do with the fact that Glenn’s great-great-greatgrandfather signed the charter for the school when it began in 1789. As impressive, his great-great-grandfather, William Alexander Graham, was a United States senator, secretary of the Navy, and as the governor of North Carolina, he re-opened UNC after the Civil War. To ensure that he lent his own name to some UNC history as well, Glenn served as one of three statisticians during the late 1960’s for the legendary Dean Smith, Hall of Fame coach of the UNC Tar Heels basketball team. As if this weren’t enough, after prodding a bit further about his connection with music, Glenn admits that he was the drum See FRAZIER, continued on page 5
Dr. John Frazier Glenn, Principal Assistant for Research and Technology of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, retires after 45 years of service. Photo by Shannon Bishop, USAG Public Affairs
New Year’s Resolutions — Do You Make and Keep Them? JENNI BENSON
USAG PUBLIC AFFAIRS
2016 is here, and all around the world people are thinking of ways to eitherimprove themselves, to break bad habits, to do something adventurous... orall of the above! Did you make a resolution this year? If so, do you plan to follow through with that resolution? Or has it perhaps already fallen to the wayside? If so, don’t fret; according to Statisticbrain.com, only eight percent of those who make New Year’s Resolutions actually complete or follow through with them. According to Statisticbrain.com,
the top 10 resolutions for 2015 included: 1. Losing Weight 2. Getting Organized 3. Spending Less, Saving More 4. Enjoying Life to the Fullest 5. Staying Fit and Healthy 6. Learning Something Exciting 7. Quitting Smoking 8. Helping Others in Their Dreams 9. Falling in Love 10. Spending More Time with Family Each New Year offers us all an opportunity to try something new and make a fresh start. According to History.com, the ancient Babylonians are said to
have been the first people to make New Year’s resolutions, some 4,000 years ago. Fort Detrick Installation Safety Office Chief Patrick McKinney said, “My 2016 resolution is to ski as fast as I can without getting hurt.” Senitta Conyers, with the Fort Detrick Installation Safety Office, takes the other side by not making resolutions. “I no longer make resolutions for the New Year,” said Conyers. “If there is an area in my life that needs improving, I make a plan of how to work on that area then implement. I’ve found the best time
Social Media Find the U.S. Army Garrison Fort Detrick: www.facebook.com/DetrickUSAG www.twitter.com/DetrickUSAG www.flickr.com/DetrickUSAG www.facebook.com/ForestGlenAnnex www.twitter.com/ForestGlenAnnex Find the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command www.facebook.com/USAMRMC www.twitter.com/USAMRMC www.flickr.com/people/usamrmc
to resolve items is after accepting a change is needed.” In 2015, Maj. Patrick Dillinger, Fort Detrick Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization, and Security plans officer, and his 12-yearold daughter made resolutions and fell into that lucky eight percent that actually kept their resolutions. “My daughter wanted to bake more during the year and she managed to keep her resolution. Just ask all of us in the DPTMS, her baked goods were the hot item this year,” said Dillinger. He went on to say, “My 2015 resolution was to reduce debt and stick to a budget,
and I actually did that and exceeded my expectations for the year. In 2016, my resolution is to plan forretirement.” Some of us make them, some of us do not; some of us keep them and some of us will not. Wherever you fall on the New Year’s resolution spectrum- whether you make individual resolutions or ones with your family, whether you’ve made them and already broken them — it’s never too late to start fresh and make the most out of every day. At the close of 2016 we’ll follow up with those that contributed to the article to see how they did... Stay tuned!
What’s Inside
#Flashback Friday: Always a Haven for Education and Rejuvenation, p. 3
CYSS Winter Wonderland Celebration, p.7
New Class of Medical Logistics Management Interns Graduate from USAMMA, p 6