Joint Base San Antonio > News

For historians, COVID-19’s a big story, but operational focus continues
August 21, 2020 — At Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, historians at Air Education and Training Command and the 12th Flying Training Wing acknowledge the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their organizations’ missions, but it does not obscure the telling of their operational stories... MORE

Lane Bourgeois, 12th Flying Training Wing historian, sifts through a pile of historical documents in his office at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph June 12, 2019.

Feedback Fridays
August 21, 2020 — If you have a question or concern, please send an email to jbsapublicaffairs@gmail.com using the subject line “Feedback Fridays.” Questions will be further researched and published as information becomes available... MORE

Feedback Fridays is a weekly forum that aims to connect the 502d Air Base Wing with members of the Joint Base San Antonio community. Questions are collected during commander’s calls, town hall meetings and throughout the week.

BAMC institutes temporary visitation policy
August 20, 2020 — The health and safety of our patients, visitors, staff and our community remains a top priority at Brooke Army Medical Center. While the importance of family support during hospitalization is understood and appreciated, BAMC is temporarily adjusting the visitation policy to reduce the risk of COVID- 19 spread as of Aug. 19. ... MORE

While the importance of family support during hospitalization is understood and appreciated, BAMC is temporarily adjusting the visitation policy to reduce the risk of COVID- 19 spread as of Aug. 19.

JBSA schools to start school year with online instruction
August 20, 2020 — Joint Base San Antonio schools will start the first few weeks of the 2020-21 school year with remote learning before being allowed to open campuses to students under directives issued by local health authorities and the Texas Education Agency... MORE

Joint Base San Antonio schools will start the first few weeks of the 2020-21 school year with remote learning before being allowed to open campuses to students under directives issued by local health authorities and the Texas Education Agency.

Masks with valves or vents not permitted in SAMHS facilities
August 19, 2020 — For safety purposes, effective Aug. 24, masks with filter valves or vents will no longer be permitted for wear in all San Antonio Military Health System facilities, to include Brooke Army Medical Center, Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center and all outlying clinics... MORE

For safety purposes, effective Aug. 24, masks with filter valves or vents will no longer be permitted for wear in all San Antonio Military Health System facilities, to include Brooke Army Medical Center, Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center and all outlying clinics.

Operation Warp Speed on track for end-of-year vaccine delivery
August 18, 2020 — Operation Warp Speed is a public-private partnership with the goal of delivering 300 hundred million doses of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines by the end of the year... MORE

Operation Warp Speed is a public-private partnership whose goal is to deliver 300 hundred million doses of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines by the end of the year.

JBSA to celebrate Women’s Equality Day virtually
August 17, 2020 — In observance of Women’s Equality Day Aug. 26, Joint Base San Antonio will provide a virtual presentation, including a video featuring some of JBSA’s prominent women leaders, the official Women’s Equality Day poster, and a fact sheet... MORE

In observance of Women’s Equality Day Aug. 26, Joint Base San Antonio will provide a virtual presentation, including a video featuring some of JBSA’s prominent women leaders, the official Women’s Equality Day poster, and a fact sheet.

JBSA supports task forces deployed to San Antonio hospitals
August 14, 2020 — As service members descended upon San Antonio to provide COVID-19 support to Texas hospitals, 502nd Logistics Readiness Squadron personnel were simultaneously conducting critical missions to ensure arriving health care workers were ready to relieve local hospitals and support communities across Texas... MORE

USAISR Soldiers on front line of national efforts to combat COVID-19
August 13, 2020 — At the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research, or USAISR, at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, laboratory specialists enjoy a more unique role away from direct patient care. At the USAISR, these Soldiers work in tandem with researchers and scientists to develop innovative ways to improve the care provided to wounded warfighters on the battlefield... MORE

Sgt. Stephen Freed from the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research inspects a batch of COVID-19 convalescent plasma ready to be shipped from the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center.

BAMC microbiologist deploys to mobile medical lab
August 12, 2020 — A Brooke Army Medical Center microbiologist has deployed to a COVID-19 mobile medical lab at Camp Ripley, Minnesota... MORE

Army Capt. Eric Coate, Molecular Diagnostics officer in charge, loads patient samples for COVID-19 ribonucleic acid (RNA) testing at Brooke Army Medical Center, Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, April 9.

Back to school immunizations: What you need to know
August 11, 2020 — Whether children physically attend classes or participate in online learning this fall, getting their scheduled immunizations remains an important part of back-to-school planning... MORE

The San Antonio Military Health System stands ready to help parents meet their children’s immunization and vaccination requirements, as well as back-to-school and sports physicals.

433rd Maintenance Squadron welcomes new commander
August 11, 2020 — Capt. Nicholas Velazquez assumed command of the 433rd Maintenance Squadron during a virtual change of command ceremony at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland Aug. 8... MORE

Lt. Col. Stuart Martin (left), 433rd Maintenance Group commander, presents the guidon to Capt. Nicholas Velazquez, 433rd Maintenance Squadron commander, at an assumption of command ceremony at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland Aug. 8. Prior to earning a commission, Velazquez was an enlisted master sergeant in the maintenance career field.

Donating plasma may be the key in the fight against COVID-19
August 10, 2020 — COVID-19 doesn’t discriminate against who it infects – even general officers are susceptible... MORE

COVID-19 doesn’t discriminate against who it infects – even general officers are susceptible.

BAMC offers ‘last line of defense’ against COVID-19
August 10, 2020 — Brooke Army Medical Center is expanding its use of a highly specialized treatment many consider the “last line of defense” for critically ill COVID-19 patients... MORE

Nurses tend to a patient on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or ECMO, in a COVID-19 intensive care unit at Brooke Army Medical Center, Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, Texas, July 17, 2020.

Army Reserve Medical Command supports COVID-19 federal response efforts
August 5, 2020 — U.S. Army Reserve Urban Augmentation Medical Task Force 7454-1, from San Antonio, Texas, joined the Department of Defense support to the Federal Emergency Management Agency response to COVID-19. U.S. Army North, U.S. Northern Command’s Joint Force Land Component Command, is overseeing the military operation in support of federal efforts and the state... MORE

COVID stress: How you can help your furry friends cope
August 4, 2020 — The global coronavirus pandemic has caused many changes in households across the country, including major adjustments to routines for school, work, shopping, and even visits with friends and family. While people have the ability to express themselves verbally while coping with their new normal, pets cannot... MORE

Separation anxiety in pets can occur because of a pet’s anticipation of a negative outcome, which is being left alone or being denied access to the owner.

DLIELC pilots virtual training team program with Puerto Rico
August 4, 2020 — To continue partner nation support across combatant commands and execute the global security cooperation mission amidst a global pandemic, the Defense Language Institute English Language Center piloted a one-week virtual training team program with Puerto Rico July 2020... MORE

The Defense Language Institute English Language Center hosts a group discussion between instructors and cadets during a class conducted over Zoom July, 2020. This Virtual Training Team initiative is in its piloting stage and may prove to provide U.S. partners across the globe a viable hybrid distance learning option.

Knowledge, balancing resources vital to Army’s COVID-19 efforts
August 4, 2020 — Driven by a three-phase emergency response plan, the Army has contributed in every facet of the ongoing battle against COVID-19, Army Surgeon General Lt. Gen. R. Scott Dingle said July 29... MORE

Capt. Stacey Johnson, critical care nurse from Urban Augmentation Medical Task Force-627, provides positioning aids to a COVID-19 patient, July 10, 2020 at Baptist Hospital in San Antonio, Texas.

DOD medical officials outline COVID-19 testing approach
July 31, 2020 — Though the rate of confirmed positive COVID-19 tests among those in uniform is lower than that of the nation's civilian population, the most junior service members have a slightly higher rate than that of their civilian counterparts, the medical advisor to the Defense Department's coronavirus task force said... MORE

A soldier with the 28th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade receives a test for COVID-19 at a mobilization station at Fort Hood, Texas, July 9, 2020.

Multi-Base Virtual Tech Expo scheduled for Aug. 19
July 30, 2020 — In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland Tech Expo was canceled for 2020. JBSA-Lackland will join several other installations for a joint virtual tech expo from 9 a.m. to noon Central time Aug. 19... MORE

JBSA-Lackland will join several other installations for a joint virtual tech expo from 9 a.m. to noon Central time Aug. 19.