Col. Jason Seery passed command of the U.S. Army Department Medical Activity and the directorship of Winn Army Community Hospital to Col. Margaret Berryman June 26 at Fort Stewart’s Cottrell Field.
The ceremony of full military pomp and circumstance included sound-off and pass-in-review under the midmorning coastal Georgia sun.
Berryman comes to Fort Stewart from the Medical Center of Excellence at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, where she served as the Army Nurse Corps Specific Branch Proponent Officer. Seery is moving on to a position at the U.S. Army Human Resources Command at Fort Knox, Kentucky.
The dual-hatted commander of U.S. Army Medical Readiness Command, East and Defense Health Network, East, Brig. Gen. Lance Raney, welcomed Berryman to Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield, home of the 3rd Infantry Division. He also emphasized the importance of the hospital’s mission to keep the division’s Soldiers “sharp” and ready to deploy.
“No pressure, but you are joining a great team,” Raney said. “And it’s not just a great team at Winn, we know that. It’s a great team right here on Fort Stewart. They’re not fancy, but I heard they’re tough. This is a team you will help be ready to deter our enemies today and be ready with what we have today to defeat and destroy our enemies. This is the tip of the spear.”
Raney called on the civilian staff to support Berryman and future commanders.
“Help her out,” he said. “We change every two years. Everyone out there doesn’t have this uniform on, you are our continuity. You are why we succeed.”
The hard work Berryman hopes to continue at Winn and the appreciation she feels serving Soldiers and Families was the theme of her speech to the audience in attendance and Soldiers on the field.
“As I take on this new role, I am filled with gratitude and a sense of responsibility,” Berryman said. “Leading Winn Army Community Hospital is not just a position. It is a calling to serve our nation.”
Berryman thanked Raney and Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, commander of the 3rd Infantry Division, for trusting her with the command of Winn Army Community Hospital.
“I am committed to upholding the high standards of excellence that this position demands,” she said.
Getting to know the “Winn-ing” team at the hospital and the community is one of Berryman’s plans. She also said she will continue the work of commanders past.
“I am really excited about building on the foundation of these great leaders and continuing our excellence of providing great care to our beneficiaries, our Soldiers, our Soldiers for Life and their families.”
Raney praised Seery for his time as commander and director of Winn. Seery was responsible for fighting through some of the most difficult challenges Raney said he had ever seen in his military career, including transition to online medical records with MHS Genesis and COVID while simultaneously changing the culture of the hospital.
“You took it from a place where the people in this crowd went to work to a place where they came for purpose,” he said. “Where you beat through the distraction. You helped them understand the importance of their mission and you led them first. In doing so you changed everything we measure formally.
“You left this organization better than you found it, and you did it in a way that is sustainable.”
Seery expressed his gratitude to the staff and Soldiers on Winn for their dedication to providing quality Soldier, family, and retiree care. That quality was reflected in successfully completing the Joint Commission reaccreditation process and recognition with several other health and safety accomplishments. He joked he could brag on the staff for hours, but speech-time limits restricted him.
“I’ll tell you something that is truly amazing,” Seery said. “In my 36 years of service I have never worked with a more eclectic group of individuals with exceptional work ethics and an understanding of the true supporting role the MEDDAC provides the 3rd Infantry Division and tenant units. “
Norrie thanked Seery and wife Andrea Seery for their contributions to the Fort Stewart community during the awards ceremony before the change of command. Norrie presented the couple several awards and said they would embrace the significance of the ceremony.
“What I really hope is you feel just how much this community loves and appreciates both of you,” he said.
Being a part of the 3rd ID team was memorable to Seery, including singing the Dog Face Soldier Song.
“The coolest thing was being a proud honorary Dog Face Soldier,” he said, while holding the distinctive blue-and-white striped patch.
At the conclusion of his speech, Seery hugged Berryman and passed the 3rd ID patch on to her.
Born in Poland, Berryman came to the United States in 1988. She began her military career in high school when she enlisted in the U.S. Army National Guard and completed combat medic training in 1998. From there she attended Marion Military Institute and New York University where Berryman earned her associate degree and bachelor’s of science in nursing, respectively. She commissioned into the Army Nurse Corps in 2004. She holds advanced degrees in nursing and is a board certified adult health clinical nurse specialist.
Knowing the 3rd ID recently came home from her childhood home, Berryman was excited. She stressed, however, the military focus is global.
“Hopefully I will get to connect with them about their experiences in Poland,” she said. “Honestly, though, as an Army we go all over the world and we are ready now, ready to support our nation and the world.”
The brigade-sized element of Soldiers assigned to Fort Stewart’s MEDDAC—including the medical company, Tuttle Army Health Clinic and the Soldier Recovery Unit—stood at attention in formation as the colors were passed between the commanders. The ceremony concluded with the formation passing in review in front of Berryman as she stood on the Marne Patch at the foot of the reviewing stand at Cottrell Field.