Gen. Gary Brito, commanding general, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, visited the U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston Nov. 22, 2022. The visit was hosted by Maj. Gen. Michael Talley, MEDCoE commanding general.
“This is not my first visit to San Antonio, but this is my first visit to MEDCoE,” said Brito, who assumed command of TRADOC Sept. 8 at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia.
According to Brito, who entered active duty as an infantry officer in 1987, his exposure to the Army Medical Department in past operational assignments makes him appreciate the MEDCoE mission of training and educating the Army’s medical professionals.
“I have nothing but love and deep respect for the field and what you bring to combat readiness,” Brito said.
Brito is the 18th TRADOC commanding general and is responsible for developing, managing, and executing manpower and personnel plans, programs, and policies for the total Army. His purview includes more than 750,000 Soldiers and service members in 32 Army schools organized under 10 centers of excellence. MEDCoE, the command’s newest center of excellence, began realignment from the U.S. Army Medical Command to TRADOC in 2018, though not official until Oct. 2, 2019.
Discussing the MEDCoE’s current mission, Brito told the group that the medical, cyber, and logistics centers of excellence “touch every single modernization effort across the Army,” from his perspective, when looking through the lens of Field Manual 3-0: Operations and the Army of 2030.
The U.S. Army Combined Arms Center, or USACAC, is the proponent of the new field manual published in October 2022 and focuses on multi-domain operations. USACAC is one of five subordinate commands under TRADOC and exercises operational control of the MEDCoE.
During his visit, Brito met with more than two dozen MEDCoE, U.S. Army North (Fifth Army), and Medical Education and Training Campus key leaders. He was briefed on the methods that allow nearly 3,000 permanent party personnel to train and educate nearly 32,000 medical professionals annually effectively. Brito also received a command overview brief, and toured facilities at the Critical Care Flight Paramedic, Interservice Physician Assistant, 68W Combat Medic Advanced Individual Training, and Physical Therapy programs. Brito ended the visit with lunch attended by more than a dozen MEDCoE commanders, sergeants major and program directors at the Rocco Dining Facility.
“This was a very helpful and educational brief,” Brito told Tally after the command brief, commenting on the center’s “massive lane” and breadth and depth of the mission.
After the visit, Talley, who assumed command of the MEDCoE June 23, told leaders that Brito was planning a return visit to the MEDCOE soon so that he could experience firsthand some of the unique medical training conducted at Fort Sam Houston.
“Gen. Brito left with a greater appreciation for both MEDCoE’s importance to the Army and the dedicated people who make up this great institution,” Talley said.