JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas –
The Gateway Wing celebrated the addition of the 937th Training Group to the wing during a deactivation and reactivation ceremony May 13 at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
Col. Will Cooper, 37th Training Wing commander, was the presiding official for the ceremony and welcomed all the new Warhawks to the 37th TRW.
“I need each of you to be who you are and do what you are here to do,” Cooper said, “By doing that, each of you live up to the behaviors we expect of you as Warhawks — to be connected, be curious, be better, be bold and to be ready.”
During the ceremony, the 59th Training Group was deactivated, and the 937th Training Group was reactivated. Col. Brian Caruthers assumed command of the 937th Training Group following the reactivation.
The Air Force’s medical training mission began in 1917 under the direction of the U.S. War Department and the chief surgeon of Army aviation, with a focus on the emerging field of aviation medicine in Mineola, New York.
The 937th Troop Carrier Group was initially established Dec. 28, 1962, and evolved through several redesignations until its activation as the 937th Training Group on Oct. 3, 2011.
The 937th has remained focused on medical training throughout its distinguished history.
In 2016, the group was deactivated and redesignated as the 59th Training Group.
“It’s interesting how your career can come full circle. In 2015, I joined the Med Wing as the training group was transitioning from the 37th to the 59th. I had even wrote part of the implementation plan back then as Maj. Caruthers,” Caruthers said.
On April 30, the 937 TRG was once again reactivated and will continue its legacy under the 37 TRW, providing medical training to the next generation of medics.
While the group’s headquarters is located at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, its medical training footprint spans coast to coast.
The 937th Training Group trains 16 enlisted Air Force medical specialties and three officer medical specialties across four squadrons and 39 geographically separated locations, offering more than 68 formal courses to develop the next generation of medical experts.
“To the men and women of the 937th, yes, there are two new organizations happening today…there is the new wing commander, and there will be some new wall art in our building at Fort Sam Houston. But our mission remains the same,” Caruthers said. “Our job is the train the world’s best medics for the Air Force and DHA. I ask you all to remain ready so we can go downrange if we need to and to take care of one another.”
The 37th Training Wing, also known as the Gateway to the Air Force, at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, is the largest training wing in the U.S. Air Force. It consists of four training groups and one Academy, and graduates more than 80,000 students annually.