Be All You Can Be MSC

Episode 26: Medical Operations Planning Tips & Leading a Health Clinic, 70H LTC(P) Rebecca Sinclair

• MSC • Season 2 • Episode 26

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We sit down with newly selected below-the-zone promotable Colonel, LTC(P) Rebecca Sinclair—a standout 70H Medical Operations Officer and dynamic leader. Join us as LTC(P) Sinclair shares invaluable tips for successful medical operations planning and what it takes to lead a health clinic with purpose, precision, and impact. From strategic thinking to day-to-day leadership, she offers real-world insights into how 70Hs support Army Medicine’s mission at every level. Whether you're a junior officer looking to grow in medical operations or a seasoned leader aiming to sharpen your skills, this episode delivers actionable takeaways, leadership wisdom, and a glimpse into what it means to lead with excellence.

LTC Rebecca (Lesemann) Sinclair is a native of Madison, Mississippi, and grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina. She enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve in 2002 as a saxophone player and was commissioned active duty into the Medical Service Corps as a Distinguished Military Graduate from Appalachian State University in 2006. She has served in numerous leadership and staff roles across Army Medicine, including Commander of MEDDAC-HAAF and Director of Tuttle Army Health Clinic and Richmond Hill Medical Home; Chief of Future Medical Operations for ARNORTH; Brigade S3 and Chief of Plans for the 44th MED BDE; Battalion XO and S3 of the 261st MMB; and Commander of the 550th ASMC. Her strategic-level experience includes serving as EA/XO to the OTSG/MEDCOM Chief of Staff and XO to the MEDCOM Director of Communications, as well as a liaison officer to the Army’s Office of the Chief of Public Affairs. LTC Sinclair holds a B.S. in Psychology from Appalachian State University and a Master of Public Service and Administration from the Bush School of Government at Texas A&M University. She is a graduate of Intermediate Level Education at the Command and General Staff College. Her operational experience includes a deployment to Iraq (2008–2009) and key roles in multiple homeland and defense support missions, including the 2010 Winter Olympics in Canada, COVID-19 response, Operation Allies Refuge and Allies Welcome, and hurricane and border response efforts. Her awards include the Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal (4 OLC), Expert Field Medical Badge, Parachutist Badge, and the Army Surgeon General’s “A” Proficiency Designator. She is also a proud member of the Order of Military Medical Merit.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this podcast are the guests and host’s alone and do not reflect the official position of the Medical Service Corps, the Department of Defense, or the US Government. All information discussed is unclassified approved for public release and found on open cleared sources.

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Welcome to the Be All You can be MSCA podcast dedicated to empowering Army Medical Service Corps officers and professionals like you. I'm your host, Stephanie Moore.

Host MSC Podcast:

On today's episode of the Be All You Can Be MSC podcast, I welcome fellow MSC officer, Lieutenant Colonel Rebecca Sinclair. She is the current commander of MEDAC, Hunter Army Airfield and director of Tuttle Army Health Clinic and the Richmond Hill Medical Home located at Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia. Becca, welcome to the podcast. Hey, thanks, Stephanie. I'm really excited to be here. Well, I'm excited to talk to you and today we're really going to dive into some of your experience as a 70 Hotel Medical Operations Planner. So why don't we get started and tell us a little bit about your Army career. Yeah. So

Becca Sinclair:

I actually joined right after nine 11. I had a recruiter come to our band class actually. And so I enlisted in the Army reserves. As a saxophone player, and then when I went to college following basic training, I really fell in love with ROTC and went through the ROTC process and then commissioned as a medical service court officer, my first duty location was in south Korea at Camp Casey. I was a treatment platoon leader there. And then when I left Korea, actually funny story, they told me I could go anywhere I wanted after leaving Korea. And I wanted to go to Hunter Army Airfield because it was near Savannah, Georgia, and I loved Savannah. And so they said, well, you have to go to the 70 kilo course to go to Hunter. And I didn't even know what that meant, but I said, sure. If it means I can get to Hunter, then that's awesome. I go to the 70 kilo course. We start learning about MTOs and I realized my job's going away. And so I have to call branch and they say, well, you've got three options. You can go to drum, Polk or Bragg. And all three are deploying. So pick your choice. So I went to Fort Bragg next, where I deployed with the 44th med brigade to Iraq, and then I've done multiple jobs in the 44th med brigade. After that I commanded, I was a battalion S3. When I later came back to the 44th, I was battalion XO, a Brigade Chief of Plans, and then finalized my time there as the Brigade S 3. I spent some time at OTSG in the Pentagon working public affairs and serving as an executive assistant for Mr. Goodman when he was the Chief of Staff for MEDCOM. I went to long term health education and training at School of Choice at Texas A& M to get a degree in emergency management and homeland security. And then I went to Army North to do homeland defense planning and really got to do some awesome opportunities there with the COVID mission. And the Afghan refugee mission, O. A. W. and O. A. R. And then finally, now, as you mentioned, I have been in command and the directorship for a year and a half. So I have about 6 months left here at Hunter.

Host MSC Podcast:

Well, definitely a very diverse experience and I look forward to diving into this a little bit more. So I'd be curious. Since you did go to the 70 kilo course originally, what led you to becoming a 70 hotel medical operations planner?

Becca Sinclair:

Yeah. So while I was deployed, I worked in the G4 shop cause it was the 44th med com at the time and we were task force med for all of Iraq. So we were in Baghdad and I was the med log plans and ops officer. And so I spent a lot of time bridging the gap between the G4 shop and the G3 shop. I was the one who went to all the planning meetings and everything else. I wrote all of the orders that had anything to do with medical logistics. And really a MedCom staff has mostly field grade officers. And I was a first Lieutenant and then got promoted to captain while I was deployed. So I was really seeking mentorship, and there were several majors at the time, who were in the G3 shop, who really took me under their wing. And I they taught me everything about medical operations, and I just really learned so much for them. And as much as I appreciated knowing the logistics side of things, which I think actually makes me a better I really fell in love with the operations side. And so that's really what led me down the path. When I came back from Iraq, I switched from the G4 shop to the G3 shop, and then the rest is history.

Host MSC Podcast:

It's interesting that you bring that up. That the reason was because of the mentorship you received from that AOC. For me, I had a similar experience. I had really positive interactions with 70 kilos in the mentorship. And ultimately that's what actually attracted me to becoming a 70 kilos. So, it really highlights why it's so important for us, collectively to mentor because when you mentor folks are drawn to what you do and what you do for the army. It goes beyond, just you as an individual and has a greater impact, both to the AOCs and the Medical Service Corps. So I really appreciate you sharing that story.

Becca Sinclair:

Yeah, absolutely. I am who I am today because of great mentors and I try to remember that and make sure to make time for our more junior officers and NCOs whenever they would like to talk or have mentorship.

Host MSC Podcast:

Absolutely. So you brought up a couple of things you brought up, knowing logistics, you brought up that you were responsible for writing orders. So I'd be curious in your, personal opinion and professional experience, what do you feel are some of the key responsibilities foundationally to a 70 hotel?

Becca Sinclair:

Yeah, that's a great question. So I really think it's important as a 70 Hotel for us to holistically understand what is going on with any operation. So for us to be able to plan medically, we can't just know the medical side of things or just know the sustainment side of things. We have to really understand if we're talking large scale combat operations, Transcribed or any other operation, we have to understand what's going on the battlefield, so to speak, and what the combat arms, soldiers are doing so that we can best medically plan for how we're going to support them. It's interesting. I remember being at command and general staff college at Fort Leavenworth. And all of the combat arms officers, they just really had never thought about, the sustainment side or the medical side at that point in their career. And so it was very eye opening for them, and I would have lots of conversations about how, like, they would ask me, wow, how do you know this? Or whatever it was we were doing, whatever operation and we would talk about that, that you can't support something if you don't understand it. And so I think you have to have a really sound knowledge and in the doctrine and you have to read a lot. I think it's important to make relationships with folks outside of just the medical service core. And then, as I mentioned you need to make sure you have a seat at the table. It is important. Even if. Other people aren't thinking about medical right away. Once again, you have to know what's going on so you can best medically support it. So you have to fight to get at the table and remain relevant so that you can best support.

Host MSC Podcast:

So it's interesting you bring up, you have to get a seat at the table. So I'm going to peel this back a little bit more. For our junior officers out there, what are ways that you have gotten a seat at the table?

Becca Sinclair:

So I am a big relationships person. I think relationships matter a lot. And you'll hear some people joke about things being political. I don't look at it that way. I think it's about forming really strong relationships. And so if you're in a brigade combat team and you're the meadow and that brigade combat team, it's important to get out and meet all the other staff officers, the commanders, everyone else, get to know them on a, as personal level as you want, but just go by and say hi, because getting to know them and making your rounds, then they remember who you are and you're more relevant when they do need something or when you need something, and then you're not just the random person who's trying to show up in a meeting. You are there. They understand who you are. They understand your value and they want you at the table. They'll ask, Hey, where's so and so if they don't see you there? And so I think relationships really go a long way to get yourself at the table.

Host MSC Podcast:

Absolutely. When I was a In the CAV regiment, I remember they hadn't had a medical logistician in a while. And so I remember going to my regimental XO and saying, Hey, I want to come and be at some of your synchronization meetings. I want to listen in and I want to make sure that I'm at the right place at the right time. Do you mind if I just come to all your meetings for right now? And I find a good place to like, sink myself into this so I can better support. And he was very open to that at the time. And so you're absolutely right. That going around doing the office calls, getting to know people, talking to them. It also lets you know, like where you get your biggest bang for your buck, because you are usually, the one man show out there, one woman show out there.

Becca Sinclair:

Yeah, absolutely. And, much later in my career, when I was at army north and we were doing These really big operations here in the Homeland. It was about being in the space where the operations were being planned. And I really would listen in on every meeting, even if it had nothing to do on the surface level with medical. I was there on MS teams or in person, but because of COVID, it was most likely on MS teams, just. listening to every single meeting because you never know what value you can pull out of it or what random questions someone may have that you may be able to add value to.

Host MSC Podcast:

So let me ask you, when you were a junior officer, how did you, in the lack of experience and maybe knowledge, how did you learn to understand the operation better so that you could support it?

Becca Sinclair:

So I asked a lot of questions. I really. Like learning and I am someone who likes to look something up and know the doctrine answer. So not just, if I ask a question and it feels like, I don't know if someone knows that answer, I'm going to go look it up because if it's in doctrine, then I know That it's there and it's sound and, that's the answer. And so I would ask a lot of questions of my senior officers or my peers, and then I think I'm fortunate because my first duty station as an officer was in Korea and in Korea it's. Been the large scale combat operations fight this whole time. And so I really learned solid doctrine and maneuver tactics by being in that. It was a, I'm going to date myself. It was an HBCT. They had just converted to an heavy brigade combat team, which don't exist anymore. And so just reading the doctrine, asking questions, once again, just observing, being part of those meetings, all of those things help me become more sound in the operations and how we fight.

Host MSC Podcast:

Well, thank you for sharing that. So I'd be curious then, is there a memorable experience when you were on staff as a medical planner that really just stands out to you that you're like, yeah, this is it. This is that moment. I'm, I feel like I'm a 70 hotel. I'm doing exactly what I signed up to do. Living your best life.

Becca Sinclair:

I feel like I've been fortunate to have many of those but I am going to bring up one that's later in my career at Army North. I just, first of all, it was such a memorable experience for me being on the Army North staff, working under NORTHCOM, so really the Army Service Component Command and the JFLCC for the homeland for several huge missions. And I really felt that I got to use the education I had gotten from the Army sending me to LSAT, as well as all of my medical planning. We were in charge of all of the COVID missions. So when we put all of the COVID teams into the civilian hospitals, and then, So, that was huge and that really felt like we were in our stride, right? That was all medical focused. We were the main effort of that operation. But fast forward when we started bringing the Afghans over to the U. S. and we really didn't know how that mission was going to evolve. And I remember I was brand new to the staff. My family was still living in a hotel. And we decided we were going to bring the first so many over and they were going to go to Fort Lee. And my boss was actually on leave at the time. And our deputy came to me and said, Hey, I need you to go to Fort Lee so that we can stand up this mission. And none of us knew it was a complicated, wicked problem. And what had happened is the state department and the department of homeland defense had asked us the DOD for support. So we were in support of the civilian agencies and they had asked us for support to house. The Afghans and feed them as well as help give a medical examination that you have to do to be able to come a citizen of the United States. And so at first it did not feel as though medical was the main effort of that mission. It was just to health them. But as we started peeling that back and we really had to dig in. Doing full MDMP, how do we support this mission medically? It turned out that became the major thing. It was the thing that had to be done before they could leave the site that we were at. It also was the major effort that had been asked of the DOD to help them towards their pathway to citizenship. And so it was just a phenomenal experience getting to be part of that planning process. I later got to. Visit all eight sites in the United States. I helped stand several of them up. And it's funny because the first site was so deliberate and we had this huge rock drill and we did all of this stuff. And people came from DC to be a part of the rock drill. And fast forward as Cobble started to fall and we started taking people more rapidly. We were standing up sites more rapidly and it really became a. Pick up team who can get there fastest and thankfully, we had a battle drill down a little bit by that time of what we needed to stand up a site. And so I just really felt like everything I had done in the army and my education had all come together and culminated in that mission getting to help the Afghans that we brought over.

Host MSC Podcast:

I love that story. I appreciate you sharing that. I think we've all had, various moments in our career where we're like, wow, all the hard effort, all the hard assignments, all the education, the studying we can feel where it culminates. And it's interesting. It's not in a scenario that you've ever pictured, right? Because I'm sure you didn't picture that it would be in a mission on us soil where it would culminate for you.

Becca Sinclair:

Yeah, not at all. I mean, no one could ever dream, right, that would have been where it all came together and where we would really have to use all of the skills and all of the skill sets to be able to pull that mission off.

Host MSC Podcast:

Absolutely. So, speaking about planning medically, I'd be interested, so when we talk about medical operations planning, making sure we factor in all of the 10 medical functions that exist, which include dental services, operational, public health, combat and operational stress control, veterinary services, medical laboratory services, medical treatment, hospitalization, medical evacuation, medical logistics, and culminating with medical command and control. What approach do you take or do you have as like tips of planning for medical operations?

Becca Sinclair:

Yeah, great question. So I think most of the time it's easy to focus. We all, if we say we're going to do something, we automatically go into medical treatment and medical evacuation. I think those are the two at every level that everyone focuses on. And so, yes, obviously very important. But I think one of the first keys to success, I'm going to take us to MDMP step number one, right? You gather your resources. So you got to gather the people, you have to form your team and your team, maybe you and phoning a friend, you, depending on what level you're at. If you're at a co com, it's going to be much bigger. And you probably have several people that work in all of those medical functions in the surgeon's office, but if you're down at a BCT level, it's probably just you and one other person. And so I think it's gathering your resources, which include all of, the FM's that includes your people that you have on speed dial. So you can ask them questions and then really. Once again, I'm going to go back to understanding the operation at which you're helping support and then overlaying on top of that, how we'll do treatment and evacuation the hospitalization, obviously, how we're going to support it logistically. But then really, that other side, the force health protection side is the side that people forget about often. And that side in our protection piece is really important in getting into the protection groups because often folks think we're just health service support. So that we're just over in the sustainment side, but that force health protection side. Protecting our force. I think it's the quiet side of the operations that we do, but so important to help keep people healthy and keep down the DMBI and all of those other aspects. So they may come second to your planning if you're looking at an operation, but if you're gonna sustain something long term. It really is important to look at that side as well.

Host MSC Podcast:

Now, I love that you brought that up because, for the listeners out there for the protection war fighting function, some of the primary tasks include things that directly relate to your ability to provide medical operations that are things like implementing operations, security, conducting survivability operations. Implementing physical security procedures, conducting area security conducting personnel recovery. So it definitely ties to the ability to provide both force health protection and health service support, which all culminates in army health system on the battlefield. So I appreciate you highlighting that. Any tips in getting more comfortable in conducting MDMP military decision making process? Because I feel like it's very intimidating. At least for me, it was as a junior officer, like I remember my brigade exo screaming at us, go conduct your MDMP and then it was like, then what? Right. Any tips you can share on that.

Becca Sinclair:

Yeah. I mean, I'll be honest while I get excited about it because, I geek out as a medical operations officer on the planning process. It is daunting and it is daunting for everyone. And so I think always keep a cheat sheet. I always keep I open up the steps no matter how many times I've done it. I keep those steps right there in front of me. I think also being okay with, shortening some depending doing rapid decision making process. If you don't have a lot of time, I'm not getting stuck on. Laboring out every single step, if you only have so much time, then that's all you have. And you have to make it fit that time. I had someone asked me just a few weeks ago. Well, how much time should you give if you're going to get through the whole. And I'm like, well, you get the time you get, right? So you have to make sure you do that. 1, planning and you really start at that process. But really what I've learned is sustainment in medical specifically, we do MDMP actually a lot more, I think, than some of our combat arms officers, which is an interesting thing to think of. They do them when they're doing. Operations at NTC or JRTC doing warfighter, but because we support so many things in the homeland as an example, and we have to plan for missions all of the time, you, every officer out there, I want you to believe you do some piece of MDMP. You do the planning process. It just may look a little different. And I think if you realize that the steps are really there for a guardrail to help you Make sure you're going through planning in a methodical way. I think if you look at it big piece like that and really just bite off one chunk at a time, it stops being so daunting and have faith and belief in yourself that you really do know this process and you will get through it and it is exhausting and the order will eventually come at the other side and you'll make it through and you move on to the next thing.

Host MSC Podcast:

So since we're talking MDMP, I'm going to peel the onion back a little bit on this. And so from my experience, some of the areas I feel like MDMP sometimes gets a miss sometimes it. Seems like we will hand wave in the COA development, really truly looking at what's the risk that the commander's assuming here and what decisions does the commander need to be able to make based off of risk assumption. And then the other aspect to me that we sometimes we, and maybe it's the way that warfighters are structured when we're actually out there doing exercises, but a lot of times in the COA analysis. For wargaming we kind of hand wave the running estimate portion and to me, those are very critical, but I'd be curious what you feel like are critical miss pieces sometimes that we have in the exercise environment for medical.

Becca Sinclair:

Yeah, so I am smiling over here, Stephanie, because risk is my favorite thing to talk about. And especially as a commander right now, I really talk with people about how commanders deal in terms of risk. We are the ones who can, we, I'm saying we as a commander, we are the ones who can take risk and assume risk. And so I think it's prudent that the staff speaks to a commander. In terms of risk, and, if this happens, then that, right? And then you can make decisions based off of that. You can have triggers with your decision matrix so that you already have it all planned out. If this happens, then we will do this, right? And so by having all of that laid out and really describing to the commander what the risk is, it allows the commander to make a very informed decision that allows them to fully understand the risk. They're assuming for anyone who works for me, if they listen to this, they will smile because when they first started working for me would bring me decisions. So they would bring me koas and I would ask them, well, what do you recommend and what's the risk for this? And then they'd go back and they'd have to come back up with the risk. And it was this dance we did back and forth and now they've gotten pretty used to it over a year and a half to really make that decision. The risk is just so important, and I agree with you, Stephanie, I think, everyone, but specifically in the medical field, I think sometimes we just forget about that piece. I was fortunate to work with some folks who had gone to Sam's who had some great products, which really helped me with like a decision matrix and some other key products that I keep on hand that help with that process. And I also think in the medical field, we don't war game. I agree with you. I don't think we get the red team and Try to poke holes in our own coas. I think sometimes we get so quick at forming coas that we just, move to the next process with a decision matrix without really trying to poke holes in the COAs. And I think if you have time for that, it just really helps you develop better COAs that then are better risk informed for the commander to be able to make a decision.

Host MSC Podcast:

No, absolutely. And thank you for sharing your thoughts on risk specifically. And you're right. I mean, so if we look at ADP 6 0, which is mission commands, the command and control of army forces I bring that piece of doctrine up. Because it goes into the command and control word of fighting function and some of the principles, which one of them is specifically accepting prudent risk. I think it's important for every army officer to understand that because when we're talking risk, you and I, we're not just talking lives on the lost on the battlefield or saving lives on the battlefield. We're talking everything from risk to resourcing from a logistical perspective, risk to resourcing from a personnel perspective, capability perspective, and even a fiscal perspective.

Becca Sinclair:

Yeah, absolutely. And I think also, staffs need to get comfortable to when a commander has made a decision like the commander is taking that risk, right? Like the staff can let it go. They are not the ones taking the risk. The commander is pulling all of that burden onto themselves. They are the ones taking the risk, which is a beautiful thing that a commander has that opportunity and also it relieves the staff of that stress of what may happen to your point, in my current job, we take risks all the time if we are needing to cancel appointments for a certain reason, or shut down a service or anything else, which seems small but it's just a good reminder that, like, there is risk to that. What is the risk and then, the commander can decide how much risk they're willing to assume.

Host MSC Podcast:

Absolutely. So, tying into the discussion of risk, what are some of the challenges that you have faced in your experience coordinating medical support in the past?

Becca Sinclair:

I think it's always, Resources, right? If we are going to plan to be the most effective, we would want everything under the sun that we could have. And we're never going to have enough resources. So how we can take what we have to make what we need, I think is really important. We already talked about getting to the table. I think that, one of the challenges is just getting to the table, but I But once you're there being able to look at what you have, knowing everyone's strengths, because you may have to pull on someone's strength that you don't realize they may have some odd strength that you need to, that becomes important in a mission. But it can be challenging if you've never dealt with that mission before. And. It's not something that seems straight out of the box. And so it's, it could be a wicked problem and you really have to peel back the onion. I'm going to go back and talk about army design for a minute and talk about defining the problem. I think so often. We skip that step as well, and we're trying to solve a problem that isn't even really what we need to be solving. And so I think that can be a huge challenge that I see in the medical side of things that we think we're solving a problem, but it may not be the one we need to be solving. And so taking that time at the beginning to really make sure you're solving the right problem. And of course, getting to the table, using all the resources you have to be able to accomplish what you can. I think those have been both the challenges and some ways to overcome it.

Host MSC Podcast:

I appreciate you bringing up defining the problem. I've seen that often too, and I don't think it's a hit on anyone, but sometimes when you're at a lower echelon you might identify a problem that really isn't a problem. It's perhaps a symptom of something. So it might be the symptom of the fact that you might see it that your higher headquarters never disperses the population of a specific MOS to you, but that might not necessarily be the problem. It might be a more holistic problem where that MOS is short across the army. Okay. Or, for various reasons, the organization is not identified as being at a certain percentage of strength. And so, like you said it's not necessarily the problem, and nor can you actually address it depending on what it is, right? And so I think always making sure that you have that discussion with your higher headquarters or finding a mentor on higher headquarters can also help you identify what the true problem is versus a symptom of something else.

Becca Sinclair:

I agree, and I think also making sure to have the conversation with your boss, maybe more than once to make sure you're. You're getting after the same problem because Brené Brown, I love Brené Brown and she describes it as painting done, like let's paint done together so that we can make sure what I think my idea of done is the same that my boss sees the idea of done. So not only are you getting after the right problem and not wasting energy on things that, that you can't. A factor or may not be the issue, but then also you're done result is what both you and your boss or your higher headquarters perceive and how they see what done looks like.

Host MSC Podcast:

Yeah, that's a great point. Ties back to the risk aspect, right? Because if your commander ultimately is assuming the risk, it's not for you to decide the avenue of approach. It's for you to present options to that commander and then making sure you nest your actions with that commander and higher headquarters guidance.

Becca Sinclair:

Yep. 100%. And I think the more back to relationships, the more the people you work with your boss and your higher headquarters, the easier over time it becomes to know that you are within their planning cycle and how they think and how they see the operation and what done looks like for them.

Host MSC Podcast:

Absolutely, and that relationship is going to evolve over time and it's not always easy, right? I'm sure you and I have both been on staffs where it's like, we have to adjust ourselves. We have to adjust our leadership style and how we go about, implementing things so that we can meet that higher headquarters guidance. And also just, I mean, there's personalities involved too. So again, it goes back to that relationships. You shouldn't be just interacting with folks when it's mission time, because that's not the time to form a norm and storm together.

Becca Sinclair:

Yep. Absolutely. You got to have it way before then and then maintain it.

Host MSC Podcast:

So I think this ties into my next question. So. How do you ensure the integration of your medical operations plan with the overall plan for the mission?

Becca Sinclair:

Yeah, I sometimes feel like you got to be like the gnat, the annoying gnat that's just there all the time. Because I think if there's a jock, right, if there's a joint operations center or some type of emergency operations center or ops center, whatever it is, at whatever echelon you're at making sure medical has a seat there. And then once again, listening in, making sure you understand the operations, spending time knowing how we fight. And how the operation is going to happen to make sure it's nested because things change really quickly and you have to make sure that you're still on the same path and then not be afraid to speak up. So I'm going to give an example with large scale combat operations. We talk a lot about the casualty estimates which we expect to be very high. Right. But what we sometimes don't talk about is the decompression of our medical facilities and how we may not. It may slow down the speed of battle because we have so many patients in the medical facility. And so you may not be able to move forward as fast. But you have to make sure you are able to speak up and let the commander know that is what's going on. Back in World War II, actually in World War I, we would leapfrog medical assets because they couldn't clear and decompress the battlefield or decompress the hospital as quickly. They would actually take medical elements that weren't even assigned to those units and leapfrog them forward. So that the speed of battle could continue at the speed of relevance for the commander. And so I think it's important to remember that things evolve very quickly. And so you have to be able to speak up and make sure they know, once again, back to that risk, right? In the decisions that need to be made that, maybe you can't move as quickly because of that, but it's an important thing for them to know.

Host MSC Podcast:

Absolutely. Ultimately you cannot expect the warfighter to understand the medical units that are on the battlefield and what their requirements are logistically or even for transportation. And so you are that single source of advocacy of, if anything, I will tell you, that's probably the most important role of the meadow. From the BCT to the division staff, the reason they are there is to advocate and to be the SMEs to speak up when it comes to planning operations because otherwise they will make planning decisions that cannot necessarily be sustained medically which could be detrimental on the battlefield, so I really appreciate you bringing that up and for all the panicked staff officers out there right now going, how the heck do I know all those organizations and units? This is where the army health system smart book. The doctrine smart book is a key document for you all to take a look at. But also things like, the army health system, FM four dash Oh two. And also knowing again, like you highlighted Becca know the operation. So knowing things like ADP four dash Oh, on sustainment and what the sustainment war fighting functions are, or the protection in ADP three dash three seven. So I really appreciate you sharing. That information. So what security concerns do you have to consider when planning medical operations?

Becca Sinclair:

Yeah, so we, with Geneva Convention and everything else, we don't inherently come with a lot of our own security. Just the basics, right? Most medical units have M4s and then that's it. And so you have to always remember and it really goes with security. And then also with what you were just talking about, like the logistics that you need. You have to make sure you are requesting and making sure your higher headquarters knows all of your needs, which include security when you're planning, because depending on the fight and where you are, it may not be, secure for you to just be driving ambulances around to go pick up casualties. As an example, you might have to wait and you might have to ensure you've got security on standby or whatever the plan is. They just need to know that. You need the logistical help, the movement support and then also your security for any of the operations that we do.

Host MSC Podcast:

So definitely being tied in to the protection working group, like you mentioned previously, and then making sure your SPO should be your best friend at the BCT or division level as making sure that you've tied in From the transportation assets so that, when things are moving, when you can tie in, you can also speak to the cubed weight that you require to move you across the battlefield.

Becca Sinclair:

Yep. And then, the back haul of supplies and the patients and everything else back to being part of that logistical and sustainment plan. Absolutely.

Host MSC Podcast:

So, I know that we talked a lot about medical operations planning, but 70 hotels in the day to day, they play a big part beyond just operations. They also if you will, they own everything training and readiness of personnel from a training perspective. So I'd be curious if you could share a little bit of your experience on developing comprehensive training programs. I know you were the Brigade S3, so what are some key things for developing training programs?

Becca Sinclair:

Yeah. So, I think it's important to remember based on where you're going if you're going to deploy, if you're on a patch chart somewhere, if you're in some type of deployment cycle there are combatant command requirements that you can follow and train and sometimes that makes it easier, right? Because we have a plan that we can pull off the shelf and we can follow as we're developing that plan. I think no matter what you're doing, though, you have to look out with once you get your annual training guidance. So you, your header headquarters should be giving you annual training guidance hopefully around the july time frame, at least a draft of it so that then you can go into a planning cycle to be able to publish the intent is for everyone to publish their training guidance at the beginning of the fiscal year in October. And so with that training guidance, you can really look holistically and you backwards plan. I'm a big fan of backwards planning. And so you look at where you want to be in a year or if you're going on a deployment, whatever day that is the deployment and you backwards plan from that. When we were rotating through Iraq and Afghanistan, a lot, we did a lot of road to wars. And so it, it was everything that needed to be done on that glide path. And you made sure it all fit in, culminating with your culminating exercise, but you can't just do a culminating exercise. You've got to make sure you're doing all parts of your mission essential tasks, all parts of your METs, down to the individual team and collective level at the end. So you really have to backwards plan, and then you brief usually at the battalion level, you're doing a quarterly training brief and then brigade and hire often a semi annual training brief. It's different in every unit, but really there it briefs your higher headquarters on your way forward and your glide path at how you're going to plan to either increase your metal. So get better and as you move forward, or with the final step of a deployment,

Host MSC Podcast:

if that's what you have on the horizon, I appreciate you sharing that. And think often we forget how important a training plan is and what it offers our soldiers. It offers them stability. It offers them a way of knowing what's coming up, what planning around their families for when you have field exercises. And so a good training plan can make or break the climate of an organization. And I don't think there's enough appreciation for it sometimes. What are your thoughts? Yeah.

Becca Sinclair:

Yeah. I really agree. Because if we should be locking in training. So for everyone, especially down in the company level, if you're listening to this, you should have training locked in at least eight weeks out. And when I say locked in, I mean, Really, there should be nothing that comes up that interferes with that unless, the battalion commander is signing off on something coming up. And so it's a really hard, it sounds good in theory, but that is a really disciplined thing to be able to do. But to your point, the more we can lock in that training and then, it's really a commitment between or a contract between the company commander and the battalion commander on saying, this is the training I'm going to do. And then the battalion commander signs off on it. And then you lock that in and you get it put in DTMS. I know not everyone loves DTMS, but the more you get that put in. It actually shows the soldier, here's our training schedule, right? And so then they can plan around that. And we should have very little last minute things that pop up that take away from that. And the more predictability we can give someone, I mean, that's people first. To be able to give them predictability. So they know when they can have times with their family. So families know if they need to call and support and help. And they know if their service members going to be home at the dinner table. All of those things are important and helping us retain soldiers and retaining families because retaining. A family helps us retain a soldier. And really that predictability is what I hear over and over again. On any DEOC survey or anything else, soldiers, employees, officers, all of us, we want more predictability. And so it's hard, but the more disciplines you can be and locking in that training schedule, the better off overall your morale of your unit will be.

Host MSC Podcast:

Absolutely. And I love your remark on it is a contract between the company commander and the battalion commander. And it is so important for those battalion commanders to really do their best to give that protection to their company so that they can operate in that plan, scheduled training as much as possible. And I think this really is a team effort, because the staff helps build the products and communicate to hire a lot of the training efforts that are ongoing. And it's really on that company commander and that first sergeant and their platoon sergeants to really get together and. Put pen to paper, if you will, proverbial to that training schedule. So that a, it makes sense. It's tied to the mission set and B that it has enough depth to it. That the battalion command team is really going to put their neck out there and say, Nope, we are doing this. We're protecting this time because this is a phenomenal training plan and it's value added to our greater mission set.

Becca Sinclair:

Yep, absolutely. And those company training meetings, they matter. When I was in the two 61st, we had all of the companies have their company training meeting at the exact same time. And the importance of that was it protected that time. So if meetings, if at the battalion level, something else had to occur, we were not going to step on top of the company training meeting. And so something as simple as that about. Getting everyone's training meeting at the same time helps the battalion protect that time for the companies.

Host MSC Podcast:

Absolutely. Thank you for sharing that insight on something that worked for you as a TTP. So, you said you were willing to talk about it, so I'm going to bring it up So a lot of folks, when they've been very heavy in the operational assignments, they picture getting an operational O5 command select battalion. You were selected CSL O5 command for the health clinic which is an O5 CSL billet. And I would be curious how has your Army experience prepared you for that role? And were you nervous going into it?

Becca Sinclair:

Yeah, those are really great questions. So I was the officer who dreamed of being an MMB commander. I feel like I was born and bred and raised in the army to be one. But as I Got older and started a family. I met my husband in my middle of my thirties and had my son in my late thirties. And so, priorities change. And I think that's okay. It's okay for everyone out there to know that your priorities were changed and it's okay. You can change your mind about things. And so while I still would have loved to be an M and B commander, I Also, not only thinking about my family, but also thinking about the importance of learning the other side of medicine, I think for so long, 70 hotels, we did it to ourselves, but also others looked at us as the same is that we should only be in the operational side of the army and that quote unquote, we had no business being in the fixed facility, and I think it happened a long time ago when the surge happened and we were pulling 70 hotels out of MTFs, we used to, the PTMS position in most MTFs used to be a 70 hotel position, but we were short and we needed 70 hotels to go forward. And so we just kept not filling those positions. And over time, they came off the TDA because we weren't filling them. And so. Fast forward, we don't have many 70 hotel positions that will get you in the fixed facility. And so we are out in the operational side of the Army, but I worked at OTSG for two years, and it really opened my eyes to the other side of health care. Working for Mr. Goodman was just a phenomenal experience. Just picking his brain and getting to understand. The business side of healthcare. And so, fast forward, when you're opting in for command, and I know it's a little different now with CAP and everything else, but when you're opting in, you do get to put your preferences in order. And so I actually, when I weighed everything, both family, personal, and where I wanted to go and learn about the other side of medicine, I Actually, I put clinics first and I rank ordered them first, and the operational units were what I rank ordered last, because while I would have fun and love doing those things, I thought I had a lot more to learn on the clinic side. I actually sat down. With General Lodi when I was doing it, and I even asked her, ma'am, am I crazy, for doing it, for doing this and thinking this way? And she really helped me realize that no, like, we need good leaders everywhere. And it's, important to learn that other side. So I was very nervous going into the position because I had never served in an MTF before. But I was humble and I thankfully, had a lot of friends by this point who had done that as well. So I leaned on them a lot and I was just really open with my staff. So after I took command, I took the guide on and then. I met with all of my employees and I was up front with who I am, where I come from and, to let them know that I was going to ask a lot of questions and I relied on their expertise because when you're in command, you don't have to be the one who knows everything right? Your staff is the one who brings all of that to you. And so your ability to step back and really observe, And ask questions and understand and allow them to lead at their level is really important. And so it actually became a strength in some ways because I couldn't, I didn't know their job. And so I couldn't accidentally, take over their job because they had to do it. I don't, I'm not a nurse. I can't do nursing, right? My deputy commander for nursing had to be the one in charge of that lane and the same for clinical services. And so I just sat back a lot. I asked a lot of questions. I rounded through my unit a lot. It is a very different world and I have really appreciated learning this side of army medicine.

Host MSC Podcast:

Well, thank you for sharing the very vulnerable information, answer decisions, emotions you had to go through to get you where you're at. But it, so it sounds like You've been pleasantly surprised. I have.

Becca Sinclair:

I it doesn't, it's not easier. It's not, I don't want anyone to think that leading a clinic is easier. It's not easier. It's just. You are dealing with different problems. You may not have as many like soldier issues, right? Or training issues. I only have 13 soldiers that work for me and I have a little over a hundred civilians. And so, it's less about the soldier things that maybe you would deal with, and more on the operational side. And it's more about really the business of healthcare and how we can. Move forward with where we're trying to go and how you can support both the director of and. T. S. G. and the commander of medcom and really move forward both preparing our soldiers that we do have if they were to get called out and have to go join a mission somewhere, making sure that they are prepared and then also getting the honor really to take care of. Our service members and their families and our retirees.

Host MSC Podcast:

Well, thank you for sharing that. And so, you brought something up. You talked about really your role as a leader now is to ask questions holistically. I'm going to share. So when I do coaching with leaders, I talk to them about, always imagine like a little moat around a castle and your organization is the castle. And there always needs to be that little moat where you as a commander or leader keep distance so that you're looking at it holistically because if you get into the castle, then you're not looking at. Holistically and the problem set from a bigger picture, and that's what makes me think of every time when you were talking about making sure you ask questions and look through and lean on your team that are the experts. So how do you feel about as a leader, that ability that you have to keep that operational distance between the problem and yourself?

Becca Sinclair:

Yeah, I think it's important because. There's a no matter what type of organization you're leading. So even when I was a brigade three, my three shop, which was pretty large, I had done the jobs that the majors do in that shop. I had done them. And so I had to remind myself that yes, I had been there. But it was not my job now to do that position. And I think it's important to remember one for the officer, your junior officers development, but then to back to your point, if you're too in the weeds, you can't see. Really the bigger picture and what's going on and it can cloud your judgment for making decisions Which can be hard in a clinic because a clinic is small. It is not a large 500 plus person battalion. It is a hundred people and so It can be hard at times to you can easily find yourself making squad leader decisions if you are not cognizant of it. And so sometimes it could be easier to just make the decisions and just let everyone bring everything to you and you make the decisions. But we owe it to our leaders and their development. But also not just having people, solving the problem at the lowest level, but really empowering our leaders at the lowest level that like, Hey, you have the ability to make these decisions. Everything doesn't have to come up for approval. And I tell people always, I would rather have you Maybe lean a little too far forward and we have to pull you back and say, Hey, okay, thanks. I appreciate that you, did this next time, let's put some guardrails and parameters on it, then have someone not, make decisions and lean out enough. In the clinic. It can be hard because I don't have a battalion staff. It's not like a battalion where you have a staff and maybe you can separate yourself a little bit more. It is myself, my detachment sergeant, who is an E 7, and my deputy commander for nursing. It is the three of us that are up there. So anything that has to be done, it's one of us doing it. And so I do find myself still making slides and my 70 Hotel hat gets put on sometimes, but I do my best to step away. I had a friend tell me before I took command, he actually had commanded my same organization several commanders beforehand. And he said sometimes he'd have to go put himself in time out and like go put himself at Starbucks just to like get out of everyone else's way so that we weren't. The commander can maybe sometimes get in the way without realizing it, and he would have to pull himself away so that he could get perspective so that he wasn't too in the weeds.

Host MSC Podcast:

I appreciate you sharing that, A, because I'm a coffee lover, and also because It's true. We have to be cognizant and self aware as leaders. We can have all the best intentions, but that doesn't mean that it's value added. So, thank you very much for sharing that Becca. So how do you see the role of the 70 hotel evolving in the next five to 10 years in your personal opinion?

Becca Sinclair:

Yeah, I think there's such opportunities for 70 hotels right now. I know that there are a lot of questions about a lot of different AOCs and what the future is for each AOC. For anyone who wants to know, the 70 hotels not going anywhere. In fact, we may just grow even more. And I mean that because if we're looking at the LISCO fight, you really need medical planners. And it's not just the LISCO fight, the operational side, it's any side of the army or army medicine, a planner is relevant. And so if you are curious about being a 70 hotel or what a 70 hotel does, really, knowing plans, knowing operations, leading, so many hotels can find themselves in any spot in any job and I think just the ability to like I said have the big picture and the success of planning and that skillset, that comes with it is just so invaluable. And so I think 70 hotels will continue to be relevant and continue to really be a large part of our army no matter what changes happen in the future.

Host MSC Podcast:

Absolutely. And I'm going to add my own personal experience and thoughts on this. So I think it's important that us as medical service corps officers, regardless, the 23 AOCs that are medical service, and I know that they are also broken down into for multifunctional areas, but I think it's important that all of us. Have some foundational knowledge of medical operations planning and also in my opinion, medical logistics, because you mentioned it before, you, you can have all the best plans, but you have to have a knowledge of logistics. And I think what's going to be required of us in the future requires each of us to at least have a foundational knowledge in that, because that will help us bring the best of our AOC to the table and articulate it in a way that we can be value added to the holistic operational plans, if you will. Yep, absolutely. I absolutely agree. So, what advice do you have for someone aspiring to be a 70 Hotel one day?

Becca Sinclair:

Yeah. So I think well, I'll tell a story. Last year when we were looking at long term health education and training and we've struggled with had opt in rates in the last few years. And I know the medical service core is looking at that as a whole. But at 70 hotels, we were really looking at it. And as I learned, I realized that I asked several people and they said, well, down at the BCT level, there aren't as many mentors inside the medical field because most of your mentors are probably in the sustainment or one of the combat arms. And so they often view education differently. And so I thought, well, where are their mentors? What are they doing? And then all of a sudden it dawned on me. Wow. I am the senior medical service corps officer on all of Hunter and Fort Stewart. For anyone who doesn't know, Fort Stewart is the larger installation that's about 45 minutes away from Hunter, which is a satellite installation in Savannah. And so it quickly dawned on me that it was like, wow, that's me. I'm that person. And so, it's a quick plug for the silver caduceus society because we started one up and it's just been phenomenal to get everyone together. But for any young officer, one, I would tell you to really like. It's okay to want to do different things. And so see where you fit. Like I mentioned, I went to the kilo course and I mean, I am, it's the best course I've been to. I, it was phenomenal. It just wasn't quite for me, but it's okay. Cause I learned it. Right. And I, it makes me better at what I did choose to do. And I think if you were thinking of being a 70 hotel Find a 70 hotel. There's lots of us around. You can find one of us and ask us questions. You could shadow someone. If you can get into the 70 hotel course, I highly recommend it. We've done a lot to revamp that course and there are a lot of garden reserves that are in that course, but we of course have active duty slots too. And so if you have the opportunity to go to the 70 hotel course, whether you want to be a 70 hotel or not, it's a phenomenal course to help With the foundations of that medical planning. And so find a 70 hotel, find several of us, ask us questions, go to the silver caduceus society if there's one on post and then try to get into the course if you can.

Host MSC Podcast:

Now, thank you for sharing that advice. So before we jump into some fun questions, Becca, is there anything else you want to discuss or talk about that we didn't really dive into?

Becca Sinclair:

Well, I'm just going to keep plugging LFAT just for one more minute and talk about how just wonderful of an experience that is. I think. This ties in with the future of 70 hotels. I think for so long, people didn't understand the relevance of a 70 hotel on the outside of the army. And whereas some other positions, like a 70 alpha, as an example, it completely translates over to being a healthcare administrator on the outside. And so a lot of people didn't know what a 70 hotel could do on the outside, but I'll tell you, it's open for anything you want to do. You could be the COO of a company. Anything like that, you have those skill sets and it does translate over into the civilian world. But also we have unique opportunities like doing a school of choice homeland security emergency management, which really niches in with the emergency management side of things that in hospitals, we have emergency managers, in small towns and cities all the way up to the federal level there is emergency management. And so, don't sleep on the LFAT opportunities. I will tell you, and I'm gonna, I'm gonna plug it. I was so busy when I was in company command and I thought, ah, I don't have time to apply for LFAT. And I called Colonel Caness, who is a mentor and dear friend of mine. And I called her, she was Lieutenant Colonel at the time. And I said, ma'am. I don't think I'm going to apply. I don't have time. I haven't studied for the GRE. And she said, Nope, that's not acceptable. You are going to apply like this is something you wanted. Just go take the GRE and see what happens. And I am so grateful that she did that because it led. To just so many amazing opportunities for me. LFAT is just one of the best experiences I've had. And it really gave me time to learn who Becca Sinclair, I was Leesman at the time but who Becca Leesman was outside of the army. When you take the uniform off, like. Who I was at my core, and it gave me breathing room after company command to really, just take time to focus on me and education. And then I was able to bring those values back to the army. So anyone else at 470 hotel or for any other AOC just. It's a phenomenal opportunity that we have that really I highly recommend you all take advantage and really look at the opportunities that are out there. Cause there are some amazing opportunities for us that the rest of the army just doesn't get. And we're really fortunate to have those opportunities.

Host MSC Podcast:

Thank you for sharing that. Yeah, I absolutely agree with you. I myself did LSAT later than expected. Actually, I thought my time had passed and one of my mentors Colonel Retired Mark Bustamante was like, no, you still have time. And so I did it as a senior major. It was tough. I had to like squeeze in some OERs in between there, but it was a phenomenal opportunity. I would tell you One of the best educational opportunities I think I've had in my life. So I wholeheartedly agree with you. I unfortunately didn't get to take the uniform off per se, but I happened to have mine during COVID. So I sorta, sorta got to take the uniform off, if you will. But no, that's great to hear. And you're right. It's something unique about getting to not be focused on the mission. In the army and focused on education, that really does allow you to get to know yourself better as a person and as a leader. And think through how you're going to take that education that you're gaining and that knowledge to bring it back to your team, even interacting with. people that are not necessarily army officers was beneficial for me. I went with a bunch of Air Force civilians, Navy civilians to school and just having such different viewpoints was exceptional for me. And I gained a lot from that.

Becca Sinclair:

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I went to the Bush school at Texas A& M. And so The network that I have formed out of that has just been phenomenal. I mean, some of my best friends still come from that. And then I went to resident CGSC and so an army school, but still to your point, like just learning with other people and focusing only on learning. I mean, those are also relationships that I have been able to keep. So I say any opportunity you have. For education, be it a short course, a long course, or, LFAT jump on it because we are lucky to be in a job and a career that gives us so much opportunity to develop ourselves.

Host MSC Podcast:

Absolutely. And funny enough, you and I actually started talking about This episode, because we were in a class together. So, Becca and I just graduated the defense strategy course, which is a four month program through the army war college. We were both, we were the only MSCs nominated to attend the course. There's 50 students twice a year and it's really to focus on knowledge of national policy how to write national strategy and it was a unique learning opportunity where we got to interact with students from various backgrounds, and I want to highlight that because. It definitely, I don't know how you felt about it. It took me outside of my comfort zone. I was reading things that I probably wouldn't read by choice necessarily, but I do like how it was expanding my thought process.

Becca Sinclair:

Yeah, I completely agree. Some of it was probably a little bit more familiar for me. Because of my degree in public administration, and then being a 70 hotel, but it was really strategic and I don't know that by choice. I would have read all of those things, but I did appreciate learning it. And really, what I appreciated was the conversations that came out of it. I mean, it was a completely online course. And so by conversations, I mean, blackboard, which felt weird at 1st, having to do these. You had to write a journal entry and then have people respond to it and you had to respond to so many, but some really good conversations and points came out of it. And it was, I really appreciated learning how other people see and view. Different topics and policy. And so I, I am just very grateful for the opportunity, even though it was a lot of work. Cause it just, if in case anyone's wondering that it was not our day job, it was in addition to, our day jobs. And so, it was a lot of work, but I'm very grateful that I did it.

Host MSC Podcast:

Yes, I feel that way as well. It was great to celebrate our last assignment because it was an extreme amount of work and it was a lot of weekends gone just reading and studying, but well worth it. So thanks for sharing some insights on that. Alright, so let's shift to some fun questions. What is the best career advice you've ever received or given?

Becca Sinclair:

Yeah, so, I received this and then I just, I give it often now. Really bloom where you're planted. So often I think people focus on, what's next? What's the next step? And really I think just do the best you can in the job that you're in. And I think that is just great career advice that I continue to remind myself that I had been given as a young officer and it's really stuck with me over the years.

Host MSC Podcast:

Well, not only that, but the board results show that, it's more about how you do in the job you're in than the job you have oftentimes. So that's great. Great advice. And thank you for sharing it. All right. So I'm going to ask you, what's a fun fact about you? And if you don't have one, tell us your favorite ice cream. Even though I now know that you wanted to be a saxophone player, which I feel like is a fun fact.

Becca Sinclair:

Yeah. I was, I got to be a professional musician for four years in the reserves, which was super cool. That's often my fun fact, but since I already talked about that and then I'll also tell you my favorite ice cream, which is Rocky Road. Even though I'm not a huge chocolate fan, for whatever reason. Something about the nuts, the marshmallow and the chocolate ice cream. It is my absolute favorite.

Host MSC Podcast:

Nice. Well, Becca, it's been an absolute pleasure. Thank you for sharing your incredible experience and your knowledge and insight. And thank you for taking your time today. Absolutely.

Becca Sinclair:

Thank you so much, Stephanie, for being on. This has been fun.

Thank you for joining us. Don't miss the next episode of the Be All You Can Be MSC podcast. Subscribe now and join our vibrant community of ambitious professionals who are taking their careers to the next level. The opinions shared on this podcast are the personal opinions of the guests and the hosts. They do not reflect the official position of the Medical Service Corps, the Department of Defense, or the US government.