FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas –
Lt. Gen. Patricia D. Horoho passed the flag to Army Vice
Chief of Staff Gen. Daniel Allyn during a ceremony at Fort Sam Houston Dec. 3,
marking the end of her tenure as the Army’s 43rd Surgeon General.
Horoho assumed command of the U.S. Army Medical Command Dec
5, 2011 and was sworn in as the 43rd Army Surgeon General Dec. 7, 2011. She was
the first female and first nurse to command the Army’s largest medical
organization.
“The men and women in formation today represent our
remarkable command and are a credit to our nation,” Horoho said during her
remarks. “Army Medicine is blessed to have such exceptional commanders, senior
enlisted advisors and staffs. Thank you for your service and sacrifice, and
most of all, for ensuring the readiness of the young men and women we send into
harm’s way in the name of democracy and freedom.
“These past four years for me have been a continuation of
the lessons I’ve learned as a Soldier and about trusting the values instilled
in me from the day I took my oath of office: loyalty, duty, respect, selfless
service, honor, integrity and personal courage,” Horoho added. “The past four
years were not about being the first of anything, but about only being the next
Soldier called up.
She concluded by saying, “We’re successful because we’re
American Soldiers and Department of Army civilians, we’re warriors and members
of a team, we live the Army values, we place the mission first, we never accept
defeat, we never leave a fallen comrade behind, we are experts and we’re
professionals, we are American Soldiers. Together, we have served to heal and
have been honored to serve.”
“Like so many other leaders in our Army today, Patty Horoho
comes from a great lineage of service to our nation,” Allyn said, reflecting on
Horoho’s service. “Over three generations, the Horoho and Dallas families have
given a combined 168 years of collective service to our nation.
“She did this all with tremendous enthusiasm, vision and
compassion. She provided continuously inspiring leadership to Army Medical
Command,” Allyn added. “Throughout her tenure, Patty drove cultural change to
shift Army Medicine from a disease-focused, reactive healthcare system to a
proactive program focused on sustaining Soldier health. She led the effort to
make the Army Medical Department a high-reliability organization enhancing the
trust and confidence of our Soldiers, retirees and families.”
Horoho held every level of leadership in Army Medicine,
including positions as deputy surgeon general; chief of the U.S. Army Nurse
Corps; commander, Western Regional Medical Command; commander, Madigan Army
Medical Center; commander, Walter Reed Health Care System and commander, DeWitt
Health Care Network; and as the special assistant to the commander,
International Security Assistance Force Joint Command, Afghanistan.
The U.S. Army Medical Command is one of 11 direct reporting
units in the Army. It manages a budget of more than $12.8 billion budget and
provides medical care for approximately 3.95 million eligible beneficiary’s
worldwide – active duty service members, retirees, and their family members.
The command also oversees graduate medical education, health professional
education, medical research and training of all combat medics.
Maj. Gen. Stephen L. Jones will serve as the acting
commander and Army Surgeon General until the new Army surgeon general is
confirmed by the Senate. Jones is commanding general of the Army Medical
Department Center & School at Fort Sam Houston.