Joint Base San Antonio > News

TRICARE patients must follow urgent care rules
January 31, 2013 — Receiving urgent care at a civilian facility is an easy process, but some TRICARE Prime beneficiaries are not following the rules, costing themselves and the Air Force money.These beneficiaries are... MORE

SAMMC to unveil guest Wi-Fi for patients, families
January 18, 2013 — Patients and their families will soon be able to text, email or just browse the Internet from their commercial, personally-owned wireless devices at the San Antonio Military Medical Center, thanks to... MORE

Patti Steward (right), senior wireless engineer for Brooke Army Medical Center
Information Management Division, discusses San Antonio Military Medical Center’s
new wireless service with wireless engineers Phillip Forister and Rosendo
B. Flores. The pilot program will enable beneficiaries to connect to Wi-Fi while
in the hospital using commercial, personally owned wireless devices.
Photo by Robert Shields

New commander takes helm of Navy Medicine Training Support Center
January 18, 2013 — A ceremony steeped in rich Navy tradition took place Jan. 11 in front of one of Texas' most historic landmarks - the Alamo.Navy Capt. Joel A. Roos assumed command of the Navy Medicine Training Support... MORE

Navy Capt. John D. Larnerd is piped ashore Jan. 11as he retires after more than 35 years of service.
Photo by Lori A. Newman

Hang it up: Don't talk or text while driving
January 11, 2013 — Even though the Department of Defense banned the use of cell phones while driving on a military installation more than a decade ago, it continues to be a problem on Joint Base San Antonio... MORE

The Department of Defense banned the use of cell phones while driving on a military installation more than a decade ago, but it continues to be a problem on Joint Base San Antonio installations. In 2012, more than 145 citations were issued to drivers talking or texting on their cell phone while driving on JBSA. (Photo by Lori Newman, JBSA-Fort Sam Houston Public Affairs)

Strategic approach drives MICC realignment
December 20, 2012 — Mission and Installation Contracting Command officials realigned six field directorate offices into four Dec. 4 in a strategic effort to bring consistency to its operations and improve contract... MORE

Conference of American Armies holds commanders’ meeting in Mexico City
December 20, 2012 — The Conference of American Armies closed the first year of its 30th cycle with the gathering of chiefs of armies from the Caribbean, Central, North and South American countries in a military ceremony... MORE

IMCOM assisting Soldiers, families in making smooth transition into civilian life
December 20, 2012 — The U.S. Army Installation Management Command is committed to assisting Soldiers and families transition smoothly into civilian employment and America's communities. In response to the President's and... MORE

Transition Unit Soldier Maj.
Lonnie Britton listens to instructions
on how to fill out the Individual Transition Plan that is part of the new Transition Assistance Program, or TAP, July 23 at Fort Sill, Okla. Soldiers participated in the six-day long pilot program that launched the newly revised TAP program, which covers finances, job searches, resume preparation and more. Soldiers are now required to begin their preseparation counseling at least 12 months prior to the end of their military terms of service.
Photo by Ben Sherman

JBSA-Fort Sam Houston has top fitness, sports program in AETC
December 20, 2012 — Retired Army 1st Sgt. Al Rodriguez clutches a weight and does crunches in the circuit training taught by Jorge Chavez, a personal trainer at the Fitness Center on the Medical Education and Training... MORE

Melissa Cadena takes advice from Shane Sheffield, lead recreation
assistant, at the Jimmy Brought Fitness Center.
Photo by Deyanira Romo Rossell

JBSA plans memorial service for double ace
December 13, 2012 — Joint Base San Antonio will honor the legacy of one of the Air Force's most celebrated pilots and a former 12th Tactical Fighter Wing commander at a funeral service planned for 11:30 a.m. Monday in... MORE

Retired Col. Ralph Parr flew a P-38 Lightning in World War II and an F-86 Sabre during the Korean and Vietnam Wars. He is the only military member to be award the Distinguished Service Cross and the Air Force Cross. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Vernon Young Jr.)

METC instructor is top Sailor for 2012
December 3, 2012 — The San Antonio-based Navy Medicine Education and Training Command, responsible for Navy Medicine's medical and operational training programs, announced the selection of its 2012 Sailor of the Year... MORE

Hospital Corpsman 1st Class (FMF) Roy Saiz, an instructor for the Independent Duty Corpsman program at the Surface Warfare Medicine Institute at San Diego; Hospital Corpsman 1st Class (FMF/SW) Jonathon T. Birkle, a team lead instructor at the Navy, Army and Air Force tri-service Medical Education and Training Campus at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston; and Hospital Corpsman 1st Class (FMF) Shaun Kestner, administrative directorate leading petty officer for Navy Medicine Professional Development Center at Bethesda, Md., meet with the Sailor of the Year selection board Nov. 15. NMETC announced Nov. 20 that Birkle was selected as the 2012 Navy Medicine Education and Training Command SOY by the board of command master chiefs from the three NMETC echelon-4 commands. (Photo by Larry Coffey, Navy Medicine Education and Training Command Public Affairs)

440th 'Blood Runners' return home from 9 month deployment
December 3, 2012 — The Soldiers of the 440th Blood Support Detachment returned home to a roomful of family and friends Nov. 19 at Roadrunner Community Center after being deployed for nine months to Afghanistan. "During... MORE

Soldiers from the 440th Blood Support Detachment stand in formation during a ceremony Nov. 19. The unit returned home from a nine month deployment to Afghanistan. (Photo by Lori Newman, JBSA-Fort Sam Houston Public Affairs)

SAMMC doctors use cutting-edge treatment to save young mother's life
December 3, 2012 — Doctors from San Antonio Military Medical Center saved a young mother's life last month using cutting-edge technology typically reserved for infants and young children. This case marks the first time... MORE

Lt. Col. (Dr.) Jeremy Cannon, right, and Dr. Jeremy Pamplin place a patient on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or ECMO, in September 2012 at San Antonio Military Medical Center in Texas. ECMO is a heart-lung bypass system that circulates blood through an external artificial lung and sends it back into the patient’s bloodstream. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research)

JBSA Mobile App goes live
November 29, 2012 — The need to communicate with 80,000 employees at three geographically separated locations in San Antonio is a challenge, and the launching of the Joint Base San Antonio mobile app will provide basic... MORE

2012 Armed Forces Action Plan Conference a historical success
November 21, 2012 — Active duty, retired, civilians and family members joined together to address significant issues that could affect the well-being of the military family at the annual Armed Forces Action Plan... MORE

Army North supports disaster response efforts following Super Storm Sandy
November 9, 2012 — In one of the costliest and most devastating storms to strike the United States, Super Storm Sandy pummeled the country's Eastern seaboard Oct. 29, leaving behind it a swath of destruction, widespread... MORE

Lt. Gen. William Caldwell IV (center), commanding general, U.S. Army North and senior commander, Fort Sam Houston and Camp Bullis, listens as his staff briefs him at the Combined Operations and Integration Center conference room on the Department of Defense’s ongoing response to Hurricane Sandy relief
efforts.
Photo by Luis Deya, Army

Air commando laid to rest after 46 years missing
November 9, 2012 — An air commando who died when his C-123 flare ship was shot down over Ahn Khe, Vietnam, was laid to rest Oct. 26 at the Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery.The 310th Air Commando... MORE

The remains of Airman 1st Class Jerry Mack Wall, whose plane was shot down in Vietnam in 1966, are transferred by the Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland Honor Guard for burial at the JBSA-Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery Oct. 26. (U.S. Air Force photo by Steve Elliott)

14th Military Intelligence Battalion returns from year in Afghanistan
October 26, 2012 — The 14th Military Intelligence Battalion returned to Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston in the early morning hours of Oct. 21 after a one-year deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation... MORE

Family members greet Soldiers with hugs and kisses after the 14th Military Intelligence Battalion was dismissed. The Soldiers will have some reintegration training during their first week home, then have 30 days of leave before resuming their military duties.
Photo by Gregory Ripps

JBSA resource fair a success for military families with special needs
October 19, 2012 — The Joint Base San Antonio Exceptional Family Member Program joined forces with Morgan's Wonderland to hold the third annual Resource Fair and Child Find Event Oct. 13, with more than 275 family... MORE

Local singer Sierra Cecil awed the audience Oct. 13 at the Joint Base San Antonio Exceptional Family Members Program Resource Fair with her strong voice and newly acquired guitar skills, thanks to a specially fitted prosthetic. (Photo by Cheryl Harrison, JBSA-Fort Sam Houston Warfighter and Family Readiness Marketing)

Vice JCS chairman visits, honors wounded warriors in San Antonio
October 19, 2012 — The nation's second highest ranking military officer honored two wounded warriors during a Purple Heart ceremony at the Warrior and Family Support Center here Oct. 12.During his visit, Navy Adm. James... MORE

Navy Adm. James A. Winnefeld Jr. (center), vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, pins the Purple Heart medal on Army Spc. Jason Smith during a ceremony at the Warrior and Family Support Center Oct. 12. Smith was injured July 25 while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. (Photo by Robert Shields, Brooke Army Medical Center Public Affairs)

Unique headquarters company inactivates after decade of service
October 19, 2012 — From a small patio near the post's horse stables, leaders, comrades and loved ones said a fond farewell to a headquarters company that had overseen the base's Military Honors and Caisson platoons for... MORE

Capt. James Blevins, company commander of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Army Support Activity, and 1st Sgt. Anthony Walls, case the company guidon during an inactivation ceremony held Oct. 2 as Frank Blakely, ASA manager, looks on. The Military Honors Platoon, which provides military funeral honors in the south Texas region and ceremonial support to JBSA-Fort Sam Houston and the greater San Antonio military community, is now part of Army North’s Headquarters Support Company, Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Corey Baltos, U.S. Army North Public Affairs)