The Army Medical Department of the
U.S. Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...
(AMEDD), formerly known as the Army Medical Service (AMS), encompasses the Army's six medical Special Branches (or "Corps"). It was established as the "Army Hospital" in July 1775 to coordinate the medical care required by the
Continental Army
The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...
during the
Revolutionary War. The AMEDD is led by the
Surgeon General of the U.S. Army
The Surgeon General of the United States Army is the senior-most officer of the U.S. Army Medical Department (United States), Army Medical Department (AMEDD). By policy, the Surgeon General (TSG) serves as Commanding General, United States Army ...
, a
lieutenant general
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
.
The AMEDD is the U.S. Army's healthcare organization (as opposed to an Army Command), and is present in the
Active Army
The Regular Army of the United States succeeded the Continental Army as the country's permanent, professional land-based military force. In modern times the professional core of the United States Army continues to be called the Regular Army (oft ...
, the
U.S. Army Reserve
The United States Army Reserve (USAR) is a reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the Army element of the reserve components of the United States Armed Forces.
Since July 20 ...
, and the
Army National Guard
The Army National Guard (ARNG), in conjunction with the Air National Guard, is an organized Militia (United States), militia force and a Reserve components of the United States Armed Forces, federal military reserve force of the United States A ...
components. It is headquartered at
Fort Sam Houston
Fort Sam Houston is a U.S. Army post in San Antonio, Texas.
"Fort Sam Houston, TX • About Fort Sam Houston" (overview),
US Army, 2007, webpageSH-Army.
Known colloquially as "Fort Sam," it is named for the U.S. Senator from Texas, U.S. Represen ...
,
San Antonio
("Cradle of Freedom")
, image_map =
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, map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = United States
, subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State
, subdivision_name1 = Texas
, s ...
, Texas, which hosts the
AMEDD Center and School
The U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence (MEDCoE) is located at Fort Sam Houston, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas. MEDCoE comprises the 32d Medical Brigade, the U.S. Army Medical Professional Training Brigade (MPTB), and the AMEDD Noncommissi ...
(AMEDDC&S). Large numbers of AMEDD senior leaders can also be found in the Washington D.C. area, divided between
the Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters building of the United States Department of Defense. It was constructed on an accelerated schedule during World War II. As a symbol of the U.S. military, the phrase ''The Pentagon'' is often used as a metony ...
and the
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center
The Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC), formerly known as the National Naval Medical Center and colloquially referred to as the Bethesda Naval Hospital, Walter Reed, or Navy Med, is a United States' tri-service military medi ...
(WRNMMC).
The
Academy of Health Sciences
The U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence (MEDCoE) is located at Fort Sam Houston, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas. MEDCoE comprises the 32d Medical Brigade, the U.S. Army Medical Professional Training Brigade (MPTB), and the AMEDD Noncommissi ...
, within the AMEDDC&S, provides training to the officers and enlisted service members of the AMEDD. As a result of BRAC 2005, enlisted medical training was transferred to the new
Medical Education and Training Campus
The Medical Education and Training Campus (METC) is a United States Department of Defense (DoD) integrated campus under a single university-style administration, with nearly 50 programs of study available to U.S. military enlisted students and a ...
, consolidating the majority of military-enlisted medical training in Fort Sam Houston.
The current Surgeon General of the U.S. Army and commander of the
U.S. Army Medical Command (MEDCOM) is
LTG R. Scott Dingle.
History
Both the AMEDD and the
Army Medical Corps trace their origins back to July 27, 1775, when the
Continental Congress
The Continental Congress was a series of legislative bodies, with some executive function, for thirteen of Britain's colonies in North America, and the newly declared United States just before, during, and after the American Revolutionary War. ...
established the "Army Hospital", which was at that time overseen by the "Director General and Chief Physician." Congress provided an Army medical organization only in times of war or emergency until 1818, at which point it created a permanent "Medical Department." The Army Nurse Corps originated in 1901, the Dental Corps began in 1911, the Veterinary Corps in 1916, the Medical Service Corps emerged in 1917 (during WW I the Sanitary Corps was created as a temporary organization to relieve U.S. Army physicians from a variety of duties), and the Army Medical Specialist Corps came into existence in 1947.
The Army Organization Act of 1950 renamed the Medical Department to "Army Medical Service" and on June 4, 1968. The Army Medical Service was renamed the Army Medical Department.
Heraldry
Coat of arms
A regimental coat of arms was devised for the Medical Department and was most likely first used in 1818. The twenty white stars on a blue background and the red and white stripes represent the U.S. flag of 1818. The green staff entwined with a green serpent combined two symbols: the rod of Asclepius from classical mythology symbolizing medicine and healing, along with the color green associated with the Medical Corps during the last half of the 19th Century. The colors Argent (silver/white) and Gules (red) are associated with the flag of the United States. The rooster is associated with the ancient Greek and Roman god of healing and medicine, Aesculapius. The ancient Greeks believed that the rooster's crowing at dawn drove away the evil disease-spreading demons from the temples so that it could be a place of healing. The torse (twisted rope) below the rooster shows alternating blue and silver colors which were representative of the Army in 1818. The Latin motto ''Experientia et Progressus'' (Experience and Progress) is meant to convey the steady and unfailing progress of the Army Medical Department since 1775.
Regimental insignia (crest)
![U](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/30/U.S._Army_Medical_Department_Regimental_Insignia.jpg)
The design of the AMEDD regimental insignia (crest) is derived from the regimental coat of arms. It is one of the US Army's fourteen regimental corps insignias. The insignias are worn over the right breast pocket on the Army Service Uniform (ASU) and signify a service member's branch of service. The "new" AMEDD insignia was approved on October 27, 2014.
Branch (corps) insignia
In 1851, "a
caduceus
The caduceus (☤; ; la, cādūceus, from grc-gre, κηρύκειον "herald's wand, or staff") is the staff carried by Hermes in Greek mythology and consequently by Hermes Trismegistus in Greco-Egyptian mythology. The same staff was also ...
embroidered in yellow silk on a half chevron of emerald green silk" was first authorized and worn by hospital stewards of the Medical Department. The caduceus in its present form was approved in 1902. Today, the AMEDD branch corps insignia is a gold color medal caduceus, 1 inch in height. With the exception of the Medical Corps, each Corps is identified by a black enamel letter (or letters) centered on the caduceus indicative of the specific branch. The insignia for Medical Service Corps is silver.
The caduceus symbolizes the non-combatant role of the AMEDD and not medicine per se. It came into popular use for medicine in the United States after the First World War. As medical professionals returned to civilian practice, they brought the caduceus symbol back with them. Over time, Americans began to associate the caduceus with medicine. The
Rod of Asclepius
In Greek mythology, the Rod of Asclepius (⚕; grc, Ράβδος του Ασκληπιού, , sometimes also spelled Asklepios), also known as the Staff of Aesculapius and as the asklepian, is a serpent-entwined rod wielded by the Greek god A ...
is the more
appropriate symbol for medicine in a civilian setting.
Medical special branches
There are currently six special officer branches (corps) in the AMEDD.
Medical Corps (MC)
The Medical Corps consists of
commissioned medical officers who are physicians (
Doctors of Medicine and
Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine) who have completed at least one year of post-graduate training (
internship
An internship is a period of work experience offered by an organization for a limited period of time. Once confined to medical graduates, internship is used practice for a wide range of placements in businesses, non-profit organizations and gover ...
) or have been promoted from O-1 to O-3 following completion of medical school through USUHS or the HPSP.
![USA - Army Medical Corps](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/USA_-_Army_Medical_Corps.png)
The MC traces its origins to 27 July 1775, when the
Continental Congress
The Continental Congress was a series of legislative bodies, with some executive function, for thirteen of Britain's colonies in North America, and the newly declared United States just before, during, and after the American Revolutionary War. ...
created "a Hospital", essentially a Medical Department and corps of physicians, for the
Continental Army
The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...
. Medical officers in the United States Army were authorized uniforms only in 1816 and were accorded military rank only in 1847. Congress made the designation of "Medical Corps" official in 1908, although the term had long been in use informally among the AMEDD's regular physicians. Today, members of the MC work around the world at all echelons of the Army. The Chief of the MC is a
major general
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...
, whereas the senior Army Medical Department officer is the Surgeon General (a
lieutenant general
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
).
Military physicians serve in one of several general career fields. The three main fields are operational field, clinical field, and research field.
Operational Medicine is the field of Army medicine that provides medical support to the soldier and his/her Chain of Command. Many operational physicians serve as
Division
Division or divider may refer to:
Mathematics
*Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication
*Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division
Military
*Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...
,
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division.
Br ...
and
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...
level surgeons (the word "surgeon" is used to identify a physician that is assigned to a unit as a primary care provider and not necessarily as a
General Surgeon
General surgery is a surgical specialty that focuses on alimentary canal and abdominal contents including the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, liver, pancreas, gallbladder, appendix and bile ducts, and often the thyroid g ...
). These physicians are either assigned through the "PROFIS" system or through permanent assignment (PCS). Deployments with units to combat theaters are for the duration of a deployment and the jobs are mostly filled by
primary care physicians
Primary or primaries may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels
* Primary (band), from Australia
* Primary (musician), hip hop musician and record producer from South Korea
* Primary Music, Israeli record label
Works
* ...
. A
PROFIS
The PROFIS or Professional Filler System is used by the United States Military to fill voids in personnel when a unit deploys on a combat or humanitarian mission. Due to the high financial cost of employing physicians, civil engineers, lawyers or ...
provider can expect to be deployed away from their family for a total of 16 months (1 month before deployment, 12 months in theater, and 3 months for "stabilization" after return to the assigned units home station). This means that primary care physicians are deployed for longer periods than most "specialist physicians". A specialist (i.e.
General Surgeon
General surgery is a surgical specialty that focuses on alimentary canal and abdominal contents including the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, liver, pancreas, gallbladder, appendix and bile ducts, and often the thyroid g ...
,
Pulmonologist
Pulmonology (, , from Latin ''pulmō, -ōnis'' "lung" and the Greek suffix "study of"), pneumology (, built on Greek πνεύμων "lung") or pneumonology () is a medical specialty that deals with diseases involving the respiratory tract. ,
Cardiologist
Cardiology () is a branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the heart and the cardiovascular system. The field includes medical diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular hear ...
,
Trauma Surgeon
Trauma surgery is a surgical specialty that utilizes both operative and non-operative management to treat traumatic injuries, typically in an acute setting. Trauma surgeons generally complete residency training in general surgery and often fel ...
,
Rheumatologist
Rheumatology (Greek ''ῥεῦμα'', ''rheûma'', flowing current) is a branch of medicine devoted to the diagnosis and management of disorders whose common feature is inflammation in the bones, muscles, joints, and internal organs. Rheumatolog ...
) are usually deployed for 6 months. Operational Physicians should expect that more than 60% of their time will be spent in administrative roles and non-patient care. 40% of the operational providers time is spent caring for soldiers or supervising unit
Physician Assistant
A physician assistant or physician associate (PA) is a type of Mid-level practitioner, mid-level health care provider. In North America PAs may diagnose illnesses, develop and manage treatment plans, prescribe medications, and may serve as a pri ...
s (PA). With the recent
Brigade Combat Team
The brigade combat team (BCT) is the basic deployable unit of maneuver in the U.S. Army. A brigade combat team consists of one combat arms branch maneuver brigade, and its assigned support and fire units. A brigade is normally commanded by a ...
(BCT) restructuring, the demand for operational surgeons have increased. It is possible that the low retention rates of
Captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
s and junior
Major
Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...
rank Physicians in the primary care fields are due to the discrepancies in deployment length and deployment frequency between primary care and specialty physicians.
Clinical Medicine is the field of Army medicine in which a physician in uniform performs similar functions to a physician in the civilian arena. These physicians are assigned to a PROFIS unit in one of the various Army
MEDCEN (Medical Centers) and
MEDDAC (Medical and Dental facilities). Primary care physicians usually deploy to fill battalion level surgeon positions. Medical specialists deploy to support CSH (combat support hospitals)
Research Medicine is filled by a minority of military physicians. Most of these research physicians are based in larger
Army Medical Centers and the research institutes.
Nurse Corps (AN)
![USA - Army Medical Nurse](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/USA_-_Army_Medical_Nurse.png)
The Army Nurse Corps became a permanent corps of the Medical Department under the Army Reorganization Act (31 Stat. 753) passed by Congress on 2 February 1901. Its motto is "EMBRACE THE PAST – ENGAGE THE PRESENT – ENVISION THE FUTURE" and its mission statement declares "All actions and tasks must lead and work toward promoting the wellness of Warriors and their families, supporting the delivery of Warrior and family healthcare, and all those entrusted to our care and ultimately, positioning the Army Nurse Corps as a force multiplier for the future of military medicine."
Dental Corps (DC)
![USA - Army Medical Dental](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3b/USA_-_Army_Medical_Dental.png)
The Dental Corps (DC) consists of commissioned officers holding the
Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree or
Doctor of Dental Medicine
Doctor or The Doctor may refer to:
Personal titles
* Doctor (title), the holder of an accredited academic degree
* A medical practitioner, including:
** Physician
** Surgeon
** Dentist
** Veterinary physician
** Optometrist
*Other roles
** ...
(DMD) degree. The chief of the Dental Corps is a major general. Enlisted soldiers may be assigned as dental assistants, although their collar insignia lacks the 'D' and is the same as that worn by medics. Army Dental Corps Officers may train further in the following advanced training programs after Dental School:
* Advanced Education in General Dentistry
* Comprehensive Dentistry (2-year AEGD)
* Endodontics
* Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
* Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics
* Pediatric Dentistry
* Periodontics
* Prosthodontics
* Public Health Dentistry
* Oral Pathology
The US Army currently offers fellowship training in the following areas for Dental Corps Officers (applicants must have already completed a recognized specialty training program):
*Oral-facial pain
*Maxillofacial prosthodontics
*Healthcare Administration
*Dental informatics
The following ADA recognized specialties are not represented in the US Army Dental Corps:
* Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology
The chief of the Army Dental Corps is Major General Thomas R. "Rob" Tempel, Jr. His father, Major General Thomas R. Tempel, Sr. served as Chief of the Army Dental Corps from 1990 to 1994.
Veterinary Corps (VC)
![USA - Army Medical Veterinary](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/USA_-_Army_Medical_Veterinary.png)
The U.S. Army Veterinary Corps was established by an Act of Congress on 3 June 1916. Recognition of the need for veterinary expertise had been evolving since 1776 when General Washington directed that a "regiment of horse with a farrier" be raised.
[ ]
The US Army Veterinary Corps plays a significant role in current operations. Veterinary units are critical in ensuring remarkably low food borne illness rates. This is in great measure a result of veterinary inspection of subsistence in the United States as well as the approval of safe food sources around the world. Army veterinarians ensure the health of military working dogs and assist with host-nation related animal emergencies. Veterinary staff advisors also play key roles regarding issues involving chemical and biological defense.
In the United States, military veterinary supervision of operational ration assembly plants, supply and distribution points, ports of debarkation, and other types of subsistence operations are critical to ensuring safe, wholesome food for our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and their family members. The large segment of the Veterinary Corps involved in Medical Research and Development missions contribute immeasurably to the overall military effort. Vaccine, antitoxin, and antidote development, directed toward the protection of military personnel, has been and will continue to be, heavily reliant on military veterinary expertise.
Today, the Army Veterinary Corps, composed of approximately 800 veterinarians and warrant officers in both active and the Army Reserves, has an over 100 years of historic achievements about which it can be tremendously proud. Accomplishing its broad functions of food safety and security, animal health care, veterinary public health, and research and development, will continue to be essential as long as the need for military forces remain.
The Chief of the Veterinary Corps is Colonel Deborah Whitmer.
Medical Service Corps (MS)
![USA - Army Medical Specialist Corps](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/38/USA_-_Army_Medical_Specialist_Corps.png)
The Medical Service Corps consists of commissioned and
warrant officers
Warrant officer (WO) is a rank or category of ranks in the armed forces of many countries. Depending on the country, service, or historical context, warrant officers are sometimes classified as the most junior of the commissioned ranks, the most ...
. Members are required to hold at least a bachelor's degree before receiving a commission. The MSC has the greatest range of duties performed by personnel. These may include administrative and support duties, such as healthcare administrators, health services officers in operational units, healthcare comptrollers,
healthcare informatics officers, patient administrators,
health service human resource managers, laboratory scientists (biochemists and microbiologists; who developed the Army Biological Defense Strategy based on COVID-19), health physicists, toxicologists, sanitary engineers, medical operations and plans officers,
medical logisticians,
health services maintenance technician
Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organiz ...
s, and
medical evacuation pilots. MSC officers serve in clinical support roles as
clinical laboratory science officers,
environmental science officers,
pharmacist
A pharmacist, also known as a chemist (Commonwealth English) or a druggist (North American and, archaically, Commonwealth English), is a healthcare professional who prepares, controls and distributes medicines and provides advice and instructi ...
s and
preventive medicine officers. Medical Service Corps officers serve as commanders of field medical units in garrison and combat environments, and provide healthcare to patients as
psychologist
A psychologist is a professional who practices psychology and studies mental states, perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behavior. Their work often involves the experimentation, observation, and interpretation of how indi ...
s (PhD, PsyD),
social worker
Social work is an academic discipline and practice-based profession concerned with meeting the basic needs of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society as a whole to enhance their individual and collective well-being. Social work ...
s (MSW with state license),
optometrists
Optometry is a specialized health care profession that involves examining the eyes and related structures for defects or abnormalities. Optometrists are health care professionals who typically provide comprehensive primary eye care.
In the Uni ...
,
pharmacist
A pharmacist, also known as a chemist (Commonwealth English) or a druggist (North American and, archaically, Commonwealth English), is a healthcare professional who prepares, controls and distributes medicines and provides advice and instructi ...
,
podiatrist
A podiatrist ( ) is a medical professional devoted to the treatment of disorders of the foot, ankle, and related structures of the leg. The term originated in North America but has now become the accepted term in the English-speaking world for ...
s, and
audiologists
Audiology (from Latin , "to hear"; and from Greek , ''-logia'') is a branch of science that studies hearing, balance, and related disorders. Audiologists treat those with hearing loss and proactively prevent related damage. By employing various ...
. The Medical Service Corps also functions as a transitional branch, encompassing commissioned medical, dental, and veterinary students who have not completed their training through the
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) is a health science university of the U.S. federal government. The primary mission of the school is to prepare graduates for service to the U.S. at home and abroad in the medical corps as ...
(USUHS) or the
Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP).
Medical Service Corps officers are drawn from the various Army commissioning sources (
USMA,
ROTC
The Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC ( or )) is a group of college- and university-based officer-training programs for training commissioned officers of the United States Armed Forces.
Overview
While ROTC graduate officers serve in all ...
, and the federal and state
Officer Candidate School
An officer candidate school (OCS) is a military school which trains civilians and Enlisted rank, enlisted personnel in order for them to gain a Commission (document), commission as Commissioned officer, officers in the armed forces of a country. ...
s) following a branch-immaterial curriculum. Since a primary function of the Medical Service Corps is to manage combat health support activities, its officers hold general command authority and can compete for company and field grade command of medical support formations and detachments, as well as logistics and aviation commands along with officers of the "Army competitive category" branches, such as infantry, ordnance, quartermaster. In contrast, Medical Corps, Veterinary Corps and Dental Corps officers are limited to command billets specific to their respective corps (e.g. AMEDD Immaterial commands for Medical, Nurse, and Medical Specialist Corps officers; branch specific commands for Medical, Dental, and Veterinary Corps officers).
The 19th Chief of the Medical Service Corps is Major General Dennis P. LeMaster effective 18 June 2019.
Medical Specialist Corps (SP)
![USA - Army Medical Specialist](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/51/USA_-_Army_Medical_Specialist.png)
The Army Medical Specialist Corps consists of commissioned officers. Members hold professional degrees and serve as
clinical dietitians,
physical therapists
Physical therapy (PT), also known as physiotherapy, is one of the allied health professions. It is provided by physical therapists who promote, maintain, or restore health through physical examination, diagnosis, management, prognosis, patient ...
,
occupational therapist
Occupational therapists (OTs) are health care professionals specializing in occupational therapy and occupational science. OTs and occupational therapy assistants (OTAs) use scientific bases and a holistic perspective to promote a person's abilit ...
s, and
physician assistant
A physician assistant or physician associate (PA) is a type of Mid-level practitioner, mid-level health care provider. In North America PAs may diagnose illnesses, develop and manage treatment plans, prescribe medications, and may serve as a pri ...
s. Members of the SP serve all around the world and at all echelons of the Army. The Chief of the SP Corps is BG Deydre S. Teyhen.
Aviation Section
On 20 December 1971 the Aviation Branch became part of the Force Structure Branch, Force Development Division.
The section controlled a number of units including:
* 45th Medical Company (Helicopter Ambulance)
* 92nd Medical Helicopter Company
* 171st Air Ambulance Company
* 498th Medical Company (Air Ambulance)
* 8th Medical Detachment
* 25th Medical Detachment
* 41st Medical Detachment
* 50th Medical Detachment (Helicopter Ambulance)
* 54th Medical Detachment (Helicopter Ambulance)
*
57th Medical Detachment
The 57th Medical Detachment (Helicopter Ambulance) was a US Army unit located at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, which provided aeromedical evacuation support to the Fort Bragg community, while training in its combat support mission. The first heli ...
(Helicopter Ambulance)
* 82nd Medical Detachment (Helicopter Ambulance)
* 83rd Medical Detachment
* 94th Medical Detachment
* 129th Medical Detachment
* 130th Medical Detachment
* 154th Medical Detachment
* 159th Medical Detachment (Helicopter Ambulance)
* 163rd Medical Detachment
* 236th Medical Detachment
* 237th Medical Detachment (Helicopter Ambulance)
* 254th Medical Detachment (Helicopter Ambulance)
* 283rd Medical Detachment (Helicopter Ambulance)
* 286th Medical Detachment
* 430th Medical Detachment
* 431st Medical Detachment
* 432nd Medical Detachment
* 433rd Medical Detachment
* 534th Medical Detachment
* 546th Medical Detachment
* 571st Medical Detachment (Helicopter Ambulance)
* 755th Medical Detachment
* 756th Medical Detachment
* 758th Medical Detachment
* 759th Medical Detachment
* 772nd Medical Detachment
* 774th Medical Detachment
Enlisted Medical Career Management Fields (CMFs)
There are currently 24
Military Occupational Specialties
A United States military occupation code, or a military occupational specialty code (MOS code), is a nine-character code used in the United States Army and United States Marine Corps to identify a specific job. In the United States Air Force, a sy ...
(MOSs) for enlisted medical soldiers:
* 68A Biomedical Equipment Specialist
* 68B Orthopedic Specialist
* 68C Practical Nursing Specialist
* 68D Operating Room Specialist
* 68E Dental Specialist
* 68F Physical Therapy Specialist
* 68G Patient Administration Specialist
* 68H Optical Laboratory Specialist
* 68J Medical Logistics Specialist
* 68K Medical Laboratory Specialist
* 68L Occupational Therapy Specialist
* 68M Nutrition Care Specialist
* 68N Cardiovascular Specialist
* 68P Radiology Specialist
* 68Q Pharmacy Specialist
* 68R Veterinary Food Inspection Specialist
* 68S Preventive Medicine Specialist
* 68T Animal Care Specialist
* 68U Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) Specialist
* 68V Respiratory Specialist
*
68W
68W (pronounced as sixty-eight whiskey using the NATO phonetic alphabet) is the Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) for the United States Army's Combat Medic. 68Ws are primarily responsible for providing emergency medical treatment at point of wo ...
Combat Medic
A combat medic, or healthcare specialist, is responsible for providing emergency medical treatment at a point of wounding in a combat or training environment, as well as primary care and health protection and evacuation from a point of injury ...
Specialist
* 68X Behavioral Health Specialist
* 68Y Eye Specialist
* 68Z Chief Medical NCO
In addition, outside the
AMEDD
The Army Medical Department of the U.S. Army (AMEDD), formerly known as the Army Medical Service (AMS), encompasses the Army's six medical Special Branches (or "Corps"). It was established as the "Army Hospital" in July 1775 to coordinate the me ...
, is the Special Forces Medical Sergeant (18D).
Museum
Badges
Image:Combat Medical Badge, 1st award.svg, Combat Medical Badge
The Combat Medical Badge is an Badges of the United States Army, award of the United States Army which was first created in January 1945. Any member of the Army Medical Department, at the rank of colonel or below, who is assigned or attached to a ...
s
Image:ExpertMedBadge.gif, Expert Field Medical Badge
The Expert Field Medical Badge (EFMB) is a United States Army special skills badge first created on June 18, 1965. This badge is the non-combat equivalent of the Combat Medical Badge (CMB) and is awarded to U.S. military personnel and North Atlan ...
Image:ArmyFltSurg.gif, Flight Surgeon Badges
See also
*
United States Army Medical Department Museum
The U.S. Army Medical Department Museum — or AMEDD Museum — at Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas, originated as part of the Army's Field Service School at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania. It moved to Fort Sam Houston in 1946. It is current ...
*
United States Army Medical Command
The U.S. Army Medical Command (MEDCOM) is a direct reporting unit of the U.S. Army that formerly provided command and control of the Army's fixed-facility medical, dental, and veterinary treatment facilities, providing preventive care, medical res ...
(MEDCOM)
*
Order of Military Medical Merit
The Order of Military Medical Merit (02M3) is a private organization that was founded by the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Health Services Command in 1982 with the goal of recognizing excellence and promoting fellowship and '' esprit de cor ...
(O2M3)
*
Surgeon General of the United States Army
The Surgeon General of the United States Army is the senior-most officer of the U.S. Army Medical Department (AMEDD). By policy, the Surgeon General (TSG) serves as Commanding General, U.S. Army Medical Command (MEDCOM) as well as head of the ...
(TSG)
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68W (91W) (medic; U.S. Army)
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List of General Officers of the United States Army Medical Department in World War II
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List of ships of the United States Army#Hospital ships
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United States Army Ambulance Service
The United States Army Ambulance#Military use, Ambulance Service (USAAS) was a unit of the United States Army during World War I. It was established by General Order No. 75 of the United States Department of War, War Department in May 1917. It ...
(World War I)
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Battlefield medicine
Battlefield medicine, also called field surgery and later combat casualty care, is the treatment of wounded combatants and non-combatants in or near an area of combat. Civilian medicine has been greatly advanced by procedures that were first ...
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Combat Support Hospital (CSH)
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Field hospital
A field hospital is a temporary hospital or mobile medical unit that takes care of casualties on-site before they can be safely transported to more permanent facilities. This term was initially used in military medicine (such as the Mobile A ...
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Mobile Army Surgical Hospital
Mobile Army Surgical Hospitals were U.S. Army field hospital units conceptualized in 1946 as replacements for the World War II-era Auxiliary Surgical Group hospital units, which had become obsolete. MASH Units were in operation from the Korean ...
(MASH)
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Military medicine
The term military medicine has a number of potential connotations. It may mean:
*A medical specialty, specifically a branch of occupational medicine attending to the medical risks and needs (both preventive and interventional) of sold ...
*U.S.
Navy Dental Corps
The Dental Corps of the United States Navy consists of naval officers who have a doctorate in either dental surgery (DDS) or dental medicine (DMD) and who practice dentistry for Sailors and Marines to ensure optimal oral health.
The U.S. Navy De ...
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U.S. Air Force Dental Corps
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U.S. Navy Medical Corps
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U.S. Air Force Medical Corps
*U.S.
Navy Medical Service Corps
The United States Navy Medical Service Corps is a staff corps of the U.S. Navy, consisting of officers engaged in medical support duties. It includes healthcare scientists and researchers, comprising around 60% of its personnel, and healthcare adm ...
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U.S. Air Force Biomedical Sciences Corps
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U.S. Air Force Medical Service Corps
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U.S. Navy Nurse Corps
The United States Navy Nurse Corps was officially established by Congress in 1908; however, unofficially, women had been working as nurses aboard Navy ships and in Navy hospitals for nearly 100 years. The Corps was all-female until 1965.
Pre-190 ...
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U.S. Air Force Nurse Corps
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United States Army Hospital Corps
United States Army Hospital Corps was organized in 1886 in order to recruit and retain competent medical enlisted personnel in the United States Army Medical Department for field service in the event of a foreign war. Existing Hospital Stewards wer ...
References
Citations
Further reading
*Ashburn, Percy M. (1929), ''A History of the Medical Department of the United States Army'',
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
:
Houghton Mifflin
The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , ''asteriskos'', "little star", is a typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a heraldic star.
Computer scientists and mathematicians often voc ...
.
*Bayne-Jones, Stanhope (1968), ''The Evolution of Preventive Medicine in the United States Army, 1607–1939'', Washington, D.C.:
Office of the Surgeon General
The surgeon general of the United States is the operational head of the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (PHSCC) and thus the leading spokesperson on matters of public health in the federal government of the United States. Th ...
.
*
*Gillett, Mary C. (1981)
''The Army Medical Department, 1775–1818'' Washington, DC:
United States Army Center of Military History
The United States Army Center of Military History (CMH) is a directorate within the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command. The Institute of Heraldry remains within the Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Arm ...
, United States Army. (Series:
Army Historical Series
An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
)
*Gillett, Mary C. (1987)
''The Army Medical Department, 1818–1865'' Washington, DC: Center of Military History, United States Army. (Series: Army Historical Series)
*Gillett, Mary C. (1995)
Washington, DC: Center of Military History, United States Army. (Series: Army Historical Series)
*Gillett, Mary C. (2009)
''The Army Medical Department, 1917–1941'' Washington, DC: Center of Military History, United States Army. (Series: Army Historical Series)
*Hume, Edgar Erskine (1943), ''Victories of Army Medicine: Scientific Accomplishments of the Medical Department of the United States Army'',
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
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Lippincott.
* – full text
*Tobey, James A. (1927), ''The Medical Department of the Army: Its History, Activities and Organization'',
Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
:
Johns Hopkins Press
The Johns Hopkins University Press (also referred to as JHU Press or JHUP) is the publishing division of Johns Hopkins University. It was founded in 1878 and is the oldest continuously running university press in the United States. The press publi ...
; Reprint: New York:
AMS Press The Augustan Reprint Society was a book publisher founded in 1946, based in Los Angeles, California. The Society has reprinted many rare works, drawn largely from the collections of the William Andrews Clark Library at University of California, Los ...
, 1974.
* Vuic, Kara Dixon. ''Officer, Nurse, Woman: The Army Nurse Corps in the Vietnam War'' (Johns Hopkins University Press; 2010) 320 pages; Draws on more than 100 interviews
* Wintermute, Bobby A. ''Public Health and the U.S. Military: A History of the Army Medical Department, 1818–1917'' (Routledge, 2011) 283 pp.
:''This article also contains information that originally came from US Government publications and websites and is in the public domain.''
External links
Office of Medical HistoryU.S. Army Medical Department official webpage(on U.S. Army official website). Retrieved 2009-12-05.
U.S. Army Medical Corps official webpage(on U.S. Army official website). Retrieved 2009-12-05.
U.S. Army Nurse Corps official webpage(on U.S. Army official website). Retrieved 2009-12-05.
Army Nurse Corps history and WWII women's uniforms in color(WAC, WAVES, ANC, NNC, USMCWR, PHS, SPARS, ARC and WASP)
WW2 U.S. Medical Research CentreUS Army Nurse Corps CollectionDigital Military Medicine Collections of the U.S. Army Academy of Health Sciences, Stimson LibraryLTG Schoomaker's blog*
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{{Authority control
United States Army Medical Department
The Army Medical Department of the U.S. Army (AMEDD), formerly known as the Army Medical Service (AMS), encompasses the Army's six medical Special Branches (or "Corps"). It was established as the "Army Hospital" in July 1775 to coordinate the me ...
Medical Department
1775 establishments in the Thirteen Colonies