JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas –
The U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence hosted Lt. Gen. James Rainey, commanding general, U.S. Army Combined Arms Center and Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston Jan. 19-20.
In a visit planners described as “battlefield circulation,” Rainey met with key MEDCoE leaders, received an update brief on Army Medicine in large-scale combat operations and conducted leader professional development, or LPD, sessions with unit command teams and Medical Captains Career Course students.
Previously aligned under the U.S. Army Medical Command, MEDCoE realigned from MEDCOM to the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, or TRADOC, with operational control under the CAC that began Oct. 19, 2018, and was completed Oct. 2, 2019.
MEDCoE is one of the 10 centers of excellence under CAC and TRADOC to include aviation, fires, cyber and intelligence.
Before the first LPD session, Rainey – in command since December 2019 – recognized several Soldiers and civilians who were nominated by the command for excellence. He then thanked attendees for their service and noted that less than one percent of Americans have volunteered to serve something greater than themselves as they all have through their military service.
Rainey explained that, if those who serve are the best America has to offer, then those he is being asked to recognize for excellence must be truly outstanding.
“That is why I never miss a chance to recognize excellence,” Rainey said. “You are really in the presence of greatness when you talk about the best of this group of people who are willing to serve their country.”
The Combined Arms Center is the U.S. Army's lead organization for several modernization initiatives to include managing the Army Leader Development and Army Profession Programs.
“Leaders should focus on doing well personally and developing others,” Rainey said to the MEDCoE company, battalion and brigade command teams.