FORT CAVAZOS, Texas –Eighth graders from Audie Murphy Middle School embarked on a transformative journey to the Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center 3 May. 
They learned firsthand from Army and civilian medical professionals the intricacies of providing care to active-duty soldiers, veterans, and their families within a medical treatment facility.Dr. Lawrence Williams also retired Army major, Career & Technical Education Teacher, AMMS, coordinated the tour with Brenda Ploof, education coordinator, CRDAMC, in hopes that the students would learn about different careers and jobs that they may want to explore in the future. 
Williams is currently teaching the students a one semester college and career readiness course, that all eighth graders are required to take, where they are learning about careers, colleges, tuition, finances. 
“One of the careers that they can go into is human services and health science, so I thought this would be a great opportunity to bring them down here to see a hospital, to see real doctors, nurses, and engineers in action,” said Lawrence. 
This was a tremendous opportunity for the students to link theory to practice and provided a great multi-sensory learning lesson by seeing and interacting with CRDAMC professionals, Williams added.  
Led by a diverse ensemble of healthcare heroes—doctors, nurses, surgeons, laboratory specialists, logistics personnel, administrative and security officers—each playing a vital role in the delivery of comprehensive medical services, the students began their journey of discovery on an immersive tour and were introduced to the various departments and specialties within the medical center. 
From primary care clinics to specialized units, they gained insight into the services offered to military personnel and their families.
Throughout the visit, the students were encouraged to engage with the professionals they encountered, ask questions, and hopefully gain a deeper appreciation for the complexities of providing care in a military medical setting.

The students assured Col. Garrick Cramer, hospital commander, CRDAMC, that the tour was good and cool when he posed the question. 
Cramer thanked the students and staff for coming, told them that he hoped they learned a lot, and shared with the students that the hospital had just recently received an ‘A’ grade like the grade they would get in school. 
“CRDAMC is an amazing facility to receive healthcare, as well as an amazing facility to work at,” said Cramer. “One thing that we’re very proud of is that we received an ‘A’ grade from the Leapfrog Group for being one of the safest medical treatment facilities in the U.S.”
CRDAMC received the grade from the Leapfrog Group, an independent, nationwide non-profit that seeks to improve the safety and quality of U.S. health care, 1 May. 
For the educators at Audie Murphy Middle School, the visit to Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center was not just a field trip—it was an opportunity to inspire and empower the next generation of healthcare professional.