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JBSA News
NEWS | Oct. 4, 2012

Navy Medicine training headquarters opens at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston

By Petty Officer 1st Class Bruce Cummins NMETC Public Affairs

The Navy Medicine Education and Training Command officially opened the doors of its new San Antonio location during a Sept. 28 ribbon-cutting ceremony at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston.

NMETC, the Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery's point of accountability for all Navy Medicine training, relocated to Fort Sam Houston after a July change of command ceremony at the establishment's former headquarters at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Fla.

"We have the best-trained hospital corpsmen, nurses, doctors, allied health and other medical professionals in the world," said guest speaker Navy deputy surgeon general Rear Adm. Michael H. Mittelman. "This is a direct result of the very talented people who comprise Navy Medicine - those who manage and provide the training from our numerous training facilities located across the country and around the world.

"Locating our education and training headquarters alongside the Army and Air Force headquarters builds on their great expertise and traditions and can only serve to further our Navy and joint mission - to ensure the men and women we train continue to save lives all over the world," Mittelman added.

NMETC, which is focused on the education and training mission of preparing personnel to perform in the garrison and operational environments, also has detachments in Jacksonville and Bethesda, Md.

The relocation stems from the Navy surgeon general's vision of streamlining Navy Medicine into a more effective, efficient and responsive organization that improves accountability, and command and control.

"Navy Medicine exists to save lives," said NMETC commander Capt. Gail L. Hathaway. "Our priority is to support the men and women deployed on the ground in combat and on ships, submarines and in the air.

"NMETC is ready to support this work by providing medical personnel education and training that supports readiness and is of value to the individual and the Navy."

Initially, 12 military and civilian personnel will be assigned to NMETC's new location with approximately 60 personnel remaining at the Jacksonville and Bethesda locations.

The Navy Medicine Operational Training Center in Pensacola, Fla., the Navy Medicine Professional Development Center in Bethesda, Md., and the Navy Medicine Training Support Center at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston are what is known as echelon four commands and aligned to NMETC.

The official opening of NMETC takes place one year after the Hospital Corps School -- the largest Navy "A" School -- relocated to JBSA-Fort Sam Houston as part of the 2005 Base Realignment & Closure Commission order.

NMETC is part of the Navy Medicine team, a global health care network of Navy medical personnel around the world who provide high-quality health care to more than one million eligible beneficiaries.

Navy Medicine personnel deploy with Sailors and Marines worldwide, providing critical mission support aboard ship, in the air, under the sea and on the battlefield.