Col. Marc Welde, right, commander of U.S. Army Medical Logistics Command, places the Order of Military Medical Merit medallion over the head of Lt. Col. Ibrahim Kabbah, symbolizing his induction into the prestigious organization, during an AMLC awards ceremony on Feb. 29 at Fort Detrick, Maryland.Lt. Col. Ibrahim Kabbah joined the prestigious company on Feb. 29, as he was inducted into the Order of Military Medical Merit during an Army Medical Logistics Command awards ceremony at Fort Detrick.
“It’s humbling because I know this award is a big deal,” Kabbah said after the ceremony.
Membership in the Order of Military Medical Merit, or O2M3, denotes distinguished service recognized by Army Medical Department senior leadership, signified by a sterling silver medallion and maroon ribbon.
Surrounded by fellow O2M3 members at the command headquarters, AMLC Commander Col. Marc Welde presented Kabbah with his medallion.
“It takes a lot to be recognized for the O2M3,” Welde said. “… It shows that you are a professional and you are committed to advancing Army Medicine. And we’re very proud to welcome you in.”
Kabbah, AMLC’s Reserve liaison officer, also serving as deputy chief of staff for support operations, was nominated for the honour by retired Col. William “Drake” Floyd, who last served as the forward commander for the 3rd Medical Command-Deployment Support (MCDS) at Kuwait and senior medical logistics adviser at U.S. Central Command in 2020.
Floyd and Kabbah first met in the 70K course in 2010, when Floyd was a major and Kabbah a first lieutenant. The two became battle buddies over those two months in San Antonio, Texas, and became close friends outside of the classroom as well.
In his nomination of Kabbah, Floyd highlighted several achievements over the officer’s 30-year career that have left a positive impact on the AMEDD.
Kabbah served as the medical operations officer leading a 78-person COVID-19 response team in 2020, including deploying two Army field hospitals within 72 hours of notification to New York and New Jersey.
“LTC Kabbah’s teams provided critical medical support to the Emergency Management Response Teams by identifying, isolating, treating and triaging COVID-19 patients,” Floyd wrote in his nomination.
Floyd also noted Kabbah’s efforts to establish combat occupational therapy programs, as well as planning the conversion of a combat support hospital to the first Army Reserve field hospital at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait.
Lt. Col. Ibrahim Kabbah (L) receiving his certificate
The O2M3 was founded in 1982 by the commanding general of the U.S. Army Health Services Command. It serves to recognize excellence and promote fellowship and esprit de corps among Army Medical Department personnel.
According to the U.S. Army Medical Department Center of History and Heritage, O2M3 membership is granted to individuals who have demonstrated the highest standards of integrity and moral character. They also must have displayed an outstanding degree of professional competence, served in the AMEDD for at least 15 years with selflessness, and have made a sustained contribution to the betterment of Army Medicine.
