STATESBORO — Georgia Southern University and the Army are joining forces to provide training on treating soldiers’ injuries. Georgia Southern University president Dr. Kyle Marrero, Georgia Army National Guard adjutant Maj. Gen. Thomas Carden and Fort Stewart garrison commander Col. Manny Ramirez signed a memorandum of agreement Saturday afternoon at GSU’s Army ROTC building.

The MOA signing is seen as helping in preventing injuries to soldiers, thereby helping their readiness. With a “train-the- trainer” model, Georgia Southern’s doctor of physical therapy students will teach select soldiers how to prevent and reduce injuries. Those soldiers will take that information and knowledge back to their own units.

According to Georgia Southern, data has shown a significant decrease in the number of injuries to soldiers enrolled in the program.

“This is an exciting day for us at Georgia Southern,” Dr. Marrero said. “What we do now in research is so important in that our programs align to the needs of our community. I’m so proud of the fact that our public research agenda and this project aligns with that.”

Noting Georgia Southern’s proximity to several military bases and the longstanding tradition of ROTC on campus, Dr. Marrero hailed the partnership with the military. He also said the train-thetrainer model will have “an incredible impact.”

“For us, it’s a win-win,” Dr. Marrero said. “I’m so excited about this.”

The agreement also is seen as a way for future physical therapy professionals to further their knowledge while enabling soldiers to learn more about injury prevention and recovery.