Joint Base San Antonio > News

TRICARE cost terms: What you need to know about deductibles, catastrophic caps, and point-of-service fees
March 17, 2026 — Health care costs can feel confusing — but they don’t have to be. TRICARE uses specific terms to describe what you pay and how your benefit works. You may see these terms on your explanation of benefits after getting care. Understanding them helps you plan ahead and avoid unexpected costs... MORE

Mother and father playing with their child in a yard

The Department of War equips Airmen with cognitive tools
March 17, 2026 — The Department of War equipped Airmen with a new, practical mental health kit at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, Texas, on March 6, 2026. ... MORE

NAMRU San Antonio conducts gap-driven research for operations in extreme cold
March 17, 2026 — To support the future warfighter, Naval Medical Research Unit San Antonio researchers took part in Arctic Edge 2026 held in Alaska from Feb. 23 to March 13... MORE

Andres Martinez Murillo, lead biomedical engineer for Naval Medical Research Unit (NAMRU) San Antonio, explains stability testing on the novel SynDaver thermal, bleeding manikin thigh to U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Kaitlin Salle at the Kodiak Coast Guard Clinic in Kodiak, Alaska during Arctic Edge 2026, Feb. 26. The novel manikin thigh is meant to keep the circulating ‘blood’ heated to normal body temperature so that researchers can see decompensation of bleeding while exposed to extreme cold. NAMRU San Antonio, part of Navy Medicine Research & Development, conducts gap-driven combat casualty care, craniofacial, and directed energy research in support of Navy, Marine Corps and joint U.S. warfighter health readiness and lethality while engaged in routine and expeditionary operations. (U.S. Navy Photo by MC1 Abigayle Lutz/Released)

Commissaries to start selling single-use paper and plastic bags on April 6
March 17, 2026 — Starting April 6, commissaries will start charging a nominal price for each single-use paper or plastic bag. Cost associated with this change is 5 cents for plastic and 10 cents for paper single-use bags... MORE

Starting April 6, commissaries will start charging a nominal price for each single-use paper or plastic bag. Cost associated with this change is 5 cents for plastic and 10 cents for paper single-use bags. (DeCA graphic)

Ten from JBSA among Air Force Medical Service 2025 award winners
March 17, 2026 — The Air Force Surgeon General is proud to announce the recipients of the 2025 Air Force Medical Service Annual Awards. The awards include both individual and team awards. There are 10 recipients from Joint Base San Antonio... MORE

Easily manage your prescriptions with Express Scripts Pharmacy mobile app
March 16, 2026 — Life is busy, so it’s important you have the prescriptions you need when you need them. The TRICARE Pharmacy Program, administered by Express Scripts, makes staying on top of your prescription drugs easy. How? Through the free Express Scripts Pharmacy mobile app... MORE

Man in a red polo shirt smiles while looking at his phone.

How Master Sgt. John Chapman’s legacy spans JBSA-Lackland
March 16, 2026 — The brick facade of building 9210 at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland has carried a name for 19 years — Chapman Training Complex — but on March 4, 2026, the Airmen of the 326th Training Squadron chose to honor the man behind it in a way that felt less like ceremony and more like a culmination... MORE

How John Chapman’s Legacy Spans JBSA-Lackland

Task force to ensure senior service colleges focus on building warfighters
March 16, 2026 — The War Department has launched a task force to ensure the curriculum at its institutions of higher learning is structured to build warfighters rather than social justice warriors, said Secretary of War Pete Hegseth... MORE

CSAF, CMSAF highlight AETC’s strategic impact on force readiness
March 16, 2026 — Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Ken Wilsbach and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force David Wolfe visited Ebbing Air National Guard Base and Goodfellow Air Force Base March 9-10 to see how Air Education and Training Command is preparing Airmen for the demands of the operational Air Force. The visit highlighted how AETC develops foundational skills, strengthens partnerships and supports the readiness of Airmen and families... MORE

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Ken Wilsbach and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force David Wolfe tour facilities at Ebbing Air National Guard Base, Ark., March 9, 2026. The walking tour provided a firsthand look at the infrastructure and operations supporting the joint efforts of the 188th Wing and the 33rd Fighter Wing's F-35 training mission.

Joint Task Force-Southern Border marks one year of success
March 16, 2026 — Joint Task Force-Southern Border marked its one-year anniversary, March 14, 2026. This milestone highlights JTF-SB's first 365 days of executing agile, full-scale and partner-focused missions in support of the Department of Homeland Security’s southern border mission... MORE

The readiness mindset: Why mental wellness is mission-critical
March 16, 2026 — Our resilience is built through a preventive maintenance model of wellness. True resilience begins with these same fundamentals. Col. Elisha P. Pippin, Air Force Director of Psychological Health, discusses why mental wellness is mission-critical... MORE

DAF announces updates to Military Leave Program
March 16, 2026 — The Department of the Air Force released an update to DAFI 36-3003, Military Leave Program, which incorporates changes mandated by the Department of War and streamlines leave policies to ensure Airmen and Guardians are fully aware of their entitlements. ... MORE

Joint Interagency Task Force spearheads contract, unifies drone defenses
March 16, 2026 — To counter the rapidly evolving threat from hostile unmanned aircraft systems, Joint Interagency Task Force 401 has championed a groundbreaking enterprise-level agreement to provide a cutting-edge command-and-control solution through a strategic action. ... MORE

A sitting soldier uses a remote control as fellow soldiers standing on a hill launch drones into a sunny, blue sky with mountains in the background.

K-9 Connection: Exploring the bond with a Military Working Dog
March 13, 2026 — At Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, the 341st Training Squadron trains and supports Military Working Dogs (MWDs) and their handlers. The squadron conducts operational training for MWD handlers and supervisors and sustains the Department of War MWD program through logistical support, veterinary care, and research and development... MORE

Senior Airman Jordon Johnson pets MWD Bulit.

DAF publishes Family Preparedness Guide, comprehensive resource for family planning
March 13, 2026 — The Department of the Air Force released the Family Preparedness Guide, Feb. 18, as a centralized resource to help Airmen and Guardians make informed decisions through all stages of family planning and readiness... MORE

Image of an Airman posing for a photo while holding a photo.

Hegseth calls for assessment, alignment of DOW legal functions, operations
March 13, 2026 — Secretary of War Pete Hegseth called on the joint forces service secretaries to work through their general counsels to conduct a "ruthless, no-excuses review" of the War Department's assorted legal support functions and operations... MORE

A plaque on a wall reads "Department of War."

Eucom commander says military relationship wth NATO partners remains strong
March 13, 2026 — During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Capitol Hill, the commander of U.S. European Command and supreme allied commander Europe said the U.S. military's relationship with its NATO partners throughout the region remains strong... MORE

An airman speaks into a microphone while sitting at a table with people sitting in the background.

DAF space medicine leaders, civilian partners strategize policy at inaugural Space Force Medicine Summit
March 11, 2026 — The Air Force Surgeon General’s Space Force Medical Operations Directorate hosted more than 100 DAF leaders and civilian partners for the inaugural Space Force Medicine Stakeholder Summit to align efforts to improve Guardian medical support... MORE

Image of Airmen and Guardians talking on a panel.

Army approves M111, first new lethal hand grenade since 1968
March 11, 2026 — The U.S. Army has cleared the M111 Offensive Hand Grenade (OHG) for Full Material Release (FMR), marking the first new lethal hand grenade to achieve FMR since 1968 when the Mk3A2 entered service... MORE

Teledentistry under the TRICARE Dental Program
March 11, 2026 — In our increasingly digital world, health care is evolving, and your dental care is no exception. Teledentistry offers a convenient and accessible way to receive dental care from the comfort of your own home. But what exactly is teledentistry, and what does it mean for you as a TRICARE Dental Program enrollee? Let's demystify teledentistry and clarify what’s covered under the TDP... MORE

Woman in yellow shirt smiles while talking to someone on a phone