Story by Wesley Elliott on 09/18/2019

Joint Base San Antonio, Texas Maj. Gen. Patrick Sargent, Commanding General, and Command Sgt. Maj. William O'Neal celebrated the re-designation of the Army Medicine Department Center and School, Health and Readiness Center of Excellence (AMEDDC&S, HRCoE) to the U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence (MEDCoE) on September 16, at Joint Base Sam Houston, Texas.

The re-designation of the school to the U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence (MEDCoE) was part of an Army modernization strategy that transferred the school from the U.S. Army Medical Command to the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) on October 8, 2018, to align Army Medicine training, education, professional development, and DOTMLPF-P integration functions,

"We are here in a new era. The battlefield today is hyper-complex, hyper-kenetic, and hyper-lethal. It is a complex series of interconnected, synchronized eco systems. In order to compete, deter, and win, it will require a completely new level of organizational agility and synergy, the likes of which we have not seen before. That is why we are changing," said Sargent.

"Under TRADOC we will attain agility and synergy, across all centers of excellence--destroying silos and in their place creating frictionless networks of cooperation. That is how we are changing."

The MEDCoE supports the Army to lead the design, integration, education, and training of new and innovative approaches to health and the Army Health System. It focuses on improving the readiness of the force and training the Army's Medical Professionals.

"We have a great legacy created by great individuals, some of whom are present today. It is our responsibility to remain alert, continually adapt, and innovate, so that this legacy continues for this and future generations," said Sargent.

The MEDCoE traces its origin to the Medical Field Service School (MFSS) established in 1920 at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, that trained Army doctors, dentists, and nurses. The MFSS moved to Fort Sam Houston in 1946 and in 1972 was re-designated as the Academy of Health Sciences which made it one of the largest medical training institutions in the world.

In 1991, the organization was re-designated again as the Army Medical Department Center and School (AMEDDC&S), with the Academy of Health Sciences becoming the school arm of the institution. In 2015, to better align with the other education and training institutions across the Army, the Department of the Army added Health Readiness Center of Excellence to the school's designation, becoming the U.S. Army Medical Department Center and School, Health Readiness Center of Excellence (AMEDDC&S HRCoE).

In Attendance was Lt. Gen Laura Richardson, Commanding General, U.S. Army North, 5th Army, and Senior Mission Commander, Fort Sam Houston and Camp Bullis; Command Sgt. Maj. Alberto Delgado, U.S. Army North and 5th Army; Trey Clayberg, Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army and Fort Sam Houston Distinguished Quartermaster; Major General R. Scott Dingle, Acting, Surgeon General and Acting Commanding General, U.S. Army Medical Command; Command Sgt. Maj. Michael L. Gragg, Command Sgt. Maj. U.S. Army Medical Command; Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Fredricke Clayton, 9th Command Sgt. Maj. of the U.S. Army Medical Command; Retired Command Sgt. Maj. James Aplin, 12th Command Sgt. Maj. of the U.S. Army Medical Command; Retired Maj. Gen. David Rubenstein and Mrs. Rubenstein; Jay Harmon, Deputy to the Commanding General, MEDCoE; Robert Naething, Deputy to the Commanding General, U.S. Army North and 5th army; Charles Gregg Stevens, former Deputy to the Commanding General, MEDCoE; and Mrs. John Poppy, Preservation of Fort Sam Houston.