Joint Base San Antonio > News > News - Category JBSA-Fort Sam Houston

Army announces new grooming, appearance standards
January 28, 2021 — New changes to grooming and appearance standards are slated to take effect next month, as part of the Army’s commitment to improving the wellbeing of all Soldiers... MORE

A female Soldier poses for an example photo with medium-length hair secured into a ponytail to support an upcoming change to Army grooming and appearance standards. Medium-length ponytails are only authorized for wear on the back of the scalp and cannot exceed the head's width or interfere with a Soldier's headgear.

San Antonio Military Health System starts next phase of COVID vaccine rollout
January 27, 2021 — The San Antonio Military Health System is starting the next phase of the Department of Defense’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout -- expanding the scope of who is eligible to get vaccinated against the virus... MORE

Air Force Senior Airman Kasey Ginn, medical technician, administers the COVID-19 vaccine to Army Capt. Christine Kasprisin, physical therapist, at Brooke Army Medical Center, Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston Jan. 26.

ARNORTH to oversee new military COVID-19 response in Texas, adjust support in two states
January 27, 2021 — At the request of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, approximately 80 military medical personnel from across the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Air Force, will deploy to Texas as part of a Department of Defense COVID-19 response operation. U.S. Army North, the Joint Force Land Component Command of U.S Northern Command, will oversee the military COVID-19 response in support of federal efforts and the state... MORE

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jarimaris Garcia, a registered nurse stationed at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, prepares medical equipment for incoming patients within the emergency department of Del Sol Medical Center, El Paso, Texas, Nov. 24, 2020.

Navy recruiting assistance council looks forward to its mission in 2021
January 26, 2021 — To continue supporting the U.S. Navy’s recruitment of high-qualified men and women in Central and South Texas, San Antonio’s Navy Talent Acquisition Group Assistance Council, or NTAGAC, held its first meeting of the year via video conference Jan. 19... MORE

Retired Navy Rear Adm. Eric Young, chairman of San Antonio’s Navy Talent Acquisition Group Assistance Council, or NTAGAC, speaks with retired service members, civic/veteran groups, educators, and business representatives via video conference during the first NTAGAC meeting of 2021.

Gladiator program helps ensure student medics’ readiness
January 26, 2021 — Once they complete basic training, Army medics receive an array of training to ensure they are ready to deploy around the world at a moment’s notice. The new Gladiator program, which was initiated by the Soldiers in Training Physical Therapy Clinic at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, is designed to improve the physical readiness of Soldier medics throughout their training... MORE

Army Staff Sgt. Timothy S. McCoole (left), a Drill Sergeant with the Gladiator program at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, leads a group of Soldier medics in training through morning exercises at the JBSA-Fort Sam Houston aquatic center.

ARNORTH supports whole-of-government COVID-19 pandemic response
January 26, 2021 — U.S. Northern Command, through U.S. Army North, remains committed to providing flexible U.S. Department of Defense support to the whole-of-America COVID-19 response... MORE

Lt. Gen. Laura J. Richardson, commanding general of U.S. Army North (Fifth Army) and the Joint Force Land Component Command, left, and Command Sgt. Maj. Phil K. Barretto, U.S. Army North and JFLCC senior enlisted leader, center, speak with 1st Lt. Elena Naumova, a critical care nurse with the 328th Urban Augmentation Medical Task Force, far right, during their visit to the Gallup Indian Medical Center, Gallup, New Mexico, Jan. 12, 2021.

DHA director visits JBSA vaccination sites, discusses medical market certification
January 25, 2021 — Joint Base San Antonio’s role in Operation Warp Speed, the whole-of-nation response to COVID-19, and ongoing vaccination efforts were the highlight of a visit by U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Ronald Place, director of the Defense Health Agency, last week... MORE

Army Lt. Gen. Ronald Place, Director, Defense Health Agency, talks with Army Lt. Col. Elizabeth Markelz, Chief of Infectious Disease, and Army Lt. Col. Robert Walter, Chief of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, at Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, Jan. 20, 2021. Place said there is no location in DoD that has seen more COVID-positive cases or COVID-positive workload than the medical facilities at JBSA, lauding the relationship between the military health system here and their involvement in the community.

MEDCoE’s Borden Institute releases teledermatology E-book
January 25, 2021 — The Borden Institute, an agency of the U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, recently released “Teledermatology in Military Medicine” as a part of its specialty publication titles... MORE

MEDCoE adds antigen testing lab to COVID-19 mitigation strategy
January 25, 2021 — It took nearly 8,000 COVID antigen tests, at least that many screenings and 14 days of restriction of movement, but in-person learning at the U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence, or MEDCoE, safely resumed after post-holiday block leave reintegration recently at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston... MORE

Pfc. Jagher Jones with Company A, 232nd Medical Battalion, testing COVID-19 antigen samples.

Partnerships, COVID-19 are catalysts for enterprise virtual health
January 21, 2021 — In the pre-COVID-19 world, nearly all health care was delivered in person within brick-and-mortar facilities. Telehealth, referred to in the Defense Department as virtual health or VH, was a promise of the future — a capability whose time had not quite yet arrived... MORE

Zekelia Rembert and Anna Moore, virtual health nurse care coordinators, coordinate virtual health projects and outline participating Military Treatment Facilities at the Virtual Medical Center at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston May 16, 2019.

Combined Arms Center commanding general visits MEDCoE
January 21, 2021 — 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... MORE

Lt. Gen. James Rainey, commanding general, U.S. Army Combined Arms Center and Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, addresses U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence commanders and leaders Jan. 20 at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston.

COVID-19 hinders blood donations during National Blood Donor Month
January 20, 2021 — “The public health guidelines to reduce interaction with others, social distancing, reducing time outside the home … it translates into a decreased donor turnout,” said Army Col. Jason Corley, director of the Army Blood Program, from the U.S. Army Medical Command at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, Texas... MORE

Getting people to donate a pint of their potentially life-saving blood has never been easy.

JBSA-Fort Sam Houston M&FRC holds AFAP Focus Group Jan. 27
January 15, 2021 — Military service members, including active, Reserve and National Guard, military spouses, family members, retirees, Department of Defense civilians and survivors are invited to participate in the Armed Forces Action Plan Focus Group online from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jan. 27... MORE

Military service members, including active, Reserve and National Guard, military spouses, family members, retirees, Department of Defense civilians and survivors are invited to participate in the Armed Forces Action Plan Focus Group online from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jan. 27.

NAMRU-SA participates in first virtual San Antonio postdoctoral research forum
January 15, 2021 — Naval Medical Research Unit San Antonio, or NAMRU-SA, was one of five academic or scientific research institutions in San Antonio to provide presenters, judges, organizers and attendees for the annual San Antonio Postdoctoral Research Forum, Dec. 7-11, 2020. Due to COVID-19, it was the first time the program went virtual in its eight-year history... MORE

Cmdr. Linda Smith, a Navy Medical Corps doctor and Naval Medical Research Unit San Antonio’s executive office.

A ‘Tough Conversation’ with a focus on bureaucracy
January 15, 2021 — Brig. Gen. Caroline Miller, 502nd Air Base Wing and Joint Base San Antonio commander, along with Command Chief Master Sgt. Wendell Snider, started off the New Year by hosting their “Tough Conversation” forum at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston Jan. 5 with the topic of bureaucracy within the wing... MORE

Brig. Gen. Caroline Miller, 502nd Air Base Wing and Joint Base San Antonio commander, along with Command Chief Master Sgt. Wendell Snider, started off the New Year by hosting their “Tough Conversation” forum at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston Jan. 5 with the topic of bureaucracy within the wing.

Army to review discharges, status-upgrade procedures for behavioral health conditions
January 13, 2021 — The U.S. Army has agreed to review the discharges of thousands of veterans affected by post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, military sexual trauma or other behavioral health conditions, and to change some of its administrative procedures for individuals who apply to have their discharge statuses upgraded in the future... MORE

The U.S. Army has agreed to review the discharges of thousands of veterans affected by post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, military sexual trauma or other behavioral health conditions, and to change some of its administrative procedures for individuals who apply to have their discharge statuses upgraded in the future.

USAISR collaboration to optimize combat casualty care
January 12, 2021 — The U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston continues to be a driving force behind important advances in combat casualty care. Contributing to the Institute’s success has been establishing and maintaining collaborations with governmental and nongovernmental organizations to include industry and academia... MORE

Jose Salinas, Ph.D. (right), chief of Engineering Processes and Product Development at the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, explains the research his team is conducting to Col. Bruce Syvinski (left), director of Medical Capability Development Integration Directorate at the Futures and Concepts Center at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston.

Updates to SHARP expedited transfer policy to reinforce 'people first' efforts
January 11, 2021 — The Army plans to roll out new training in support of the expedited transfer policy that provides streamlined and necessary support to Soldiers and adult dependents who are victims of sexual assault... MORE

Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention program

BAMC to transfer new pediatric patients needing inpatient care to preserve COVID efforts
January 11, 2021 — With the ongoing threat of the pandemic and to preserve resources and staffing, Brooke Army Medical Center will transfer new pediatric patients needing inpatient care to local children’s hospitals at this time... MORE

59th Medical Wing Pediatric Critical Care Air Transport Team

BAMC first baby a breath of fresh air for 2021
January 11, 2021 — After a long and arduous 2020, marked by one of the worst pandemics in history, Brooke Army Medical Center welcomed some good news with the birth of Stella Luna Nolasco at 3:26 a.m. Jan. 1... MORE

Stella Luna was the first baby born at BAMC at 3:26 a.m. Jan. 1, 2021, weighing 8 pounds, and 2 ounces.