FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas –
Force Master Chief Petty Officer Terry Prince, Navy
Medicine’s force master chief and director of the Hospital Corps, made his first
trip to San Antonio Nov. 16-18 since assuming his role as the Navy’s top
hospital corpsman.
Prince came to San
Antonio to speak with senior leaders and Sailors from various Navy
Medicine education and training commands.
During his time in the area he visited the Navy Medicine
Education and Training Command and the Navy Medicine Training Support Center to
discuss the current education and training of the hospital corpsmen as well as
potential changes in the future.
“It’s been an awesome visit,” Prince said during an
all-hands call. “There’s no more important place, especially as we’re
developing and growing hospital corpsmen and the technicians.”
Prince encouraged feedback from everyone with whom he spoke
in small meetings and large all-hands calls, saying he wanted to know what
might not be going right in order to make necessary changes.
“If you’re a Sailor in Navy Medicine, it’s my responsibility
to make sure the road of opportunity and excellence is paved for you,” Prince
said. “That’s what I do. And if that’s not what I’m doing, you need to tell me
that.”
Many different items of discussion came up regarding the
training and qualifications of hospital corpsmen as well as the duties and
responsibilities of the instructors. Hospital Corps students and staff alike
left the all-hands calls with a good first impression of their new director.
“It was great to meet the new force master chief,” said
Petty Officer 1st Class Tristan McCauley, Basic Medical Technician Corps
Program instructor. “He seems like a really down to earth, good- humored man. I
think he’ll keep our corps strong and on the right path.”