Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston –
The Medical Education & Training Campus at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston has a new leader.
Army Col. Jack Davis became the fourth commandant of the six-year-old, tri-service campus during an assumption of commandant ceremony Aug. 2 at the Academic Support Building auditorium at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston.
Davis, who previously served as commander of the 32nd Medical Brigade – the Army’s largest training brigade – is the first Army METC commandant. The position rotates among the Army, Navy and Air Force medical services and was most recently filled by Air Force Brig. Gen. Robert I. Miller.
The brief ceremony included a joint Color Guard made up of Army, Navy, and Air Force service members, as well as a choir comprised of Navy and Air Force students in METC’s combined Air Force medical technician and Navy hospital corpsman training course, called the Basic Medical Technician Corpsman Program.
Air Force Brig. Gen. James Dienst, Defense Health Agency’s Education & Training directorate director, presided over the ceremony. He spoke about METC’s history and accomplishments.
“Some would say, against many odds, METC staff and students rose to the challenge and set the bar for what’s possible when our great Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen put their minds to it,” Dienst said. “A huge success!”
Dienst also spoke about Davis’ experience and praised his leadership, adding that Davis is the right person to continue METC’s success.
“Trust me,” Dienst said, “We found the best of the best – hands down.”
The symbolic passing of the METC colors from Dienst to Davis toward the end of the ceremony signaled the responsibility and authority of leading METC had been bestowed upon the new commandant. Davis was entrusted to continue the series of achievements realized by the commandants before him.
After accepting the official title, Davis described a past experience in which Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen worked together in a military hospital in Bagram, Afghanistan. Medical providers from all services teamed up to treat and comfort the wounded without regard for the uniform they wore or branch of service they belonged to.
“Their ability to work together for a common cause sets the example for others to follow, and we should be proud,” Davis said. “I just wanted to take a second to remind everyone at METC of that and ask that in the future we remind each other.”
Davis added, “What I will tell you is that I am completely dedicated to ensuring that the war story I described continues: a tradition of servicemen and women taking care of each other whether in the worst of conditions or in the best. I look forward to working with you all and continuing that legacy.”