US Army Europe and Africa Soldier earns Capt. John R. Teal Leadership Award

WIESBADEN, Germany - Capt. Dylan Blaha, a U.S. Army Soldier assigned to U.S. Army Europe and Africa's Office of the Command Surgeon, or "OCSURG," has been selected as an awardee of the 2023 John R. Teal Leadership Award, in the U.S. Army Reserve/National Guard Officer Category, August 28, 2024.

Blaha, originally from Lemont, Illinois, was nominated and selected for this prestigious award based on his outstanding work ethic and accomplishments, which played a pivotal role in the development of the NATO Land Tactical Plan Center - the subordinate land component plan to one of three Regional Plans published by Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) to guide NATO's new military strategy.

"It's truly an honor to receive this award," Blaha said. "I've been lucky enough to serve in many great roles throughout my 12 years in the Army, but my time with USAREUR-AF proved to be the most challenging and rewarding. My colleagues and I put in countless hours of work to assist our Ukrainian partners and NATO Allies, and this award is a credit to all the time and energy we've put into achieving our mission."

The Capt. John R. Teal Award was established in 2003 to recognize officers, noncommissioned officers, and civilian medical professionals serving in key operational positions who have made a significant contribution to the Army Medical Department's mission. The Award is named after the first Medical Service Corps officer killed during Operation Iraqi Freedom, Oct. 23, 2003.

"Capt. Blaha's competency, intellect, and presence earned the medical enterprise a prominent seat at the table for all U.S. Army Europe and Africa's operations and plans efforts," said Maj. Kelly McManus, chief of plans, operations, and exercises for OCSURG.

Four awardees are selected out of hundreds of nominees in the categories of Active-Duty Officer, Active-Duty NCO, Army Reserve/National Guard Officer, and Department of the Army Civilian.

"I believe our work in USAREUR-AF OCSURG continues to shape the future of Army medicine as we prepare for any threats our Allies might one day face, and I'm confident my efforts helped to create a strong foundation for USAREUR-AF to continue to build upon for years to come," Blaha added.

During his USAREUR-AF tenure, Blaha, who holds a Bachelor of Science in Molecular and Cellular Biology and a Master of Science in Biochemistry from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, led planning to support multiple major geo-political crisis, to include the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Israel.

"Capt. Blaha deliberately and directly shaped how NATO medical operations will be executed in Europe across the conflict continuum," McManus added.

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