Joint Base San Antonio > News

JBSA medical facilities support Operation Warp Speed
November 25, 2020 — Joint Base San Antonio’s Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center, or WHASC, and Brooke Army Medical Center are supporting the Department of Defense on Operation Warp Speed, which seeks to pioneer vaccines for COVID-19. The vaccine trial began at JBSA Nov. 5... MORE

Personnel interested in participating in the Phase III AstraZeneca trials at selected DOD locations should visit www.CoronavirusPreventionNetwork.org, click on “Volunteer Now,” and complete the survey using the appropriate DOD Site Code.

JBSA partners with local governments to ensure citizen, pilot safety
November 10, 2020 — To ensure the safety of base aircrew and citizens residing near Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, a blanket Intergovernmental Support Agreement was utilized for the first time with the Alamo Area Council of Governments which incorporates a contract managed by Universal City, Texas. This historic partnership was publicly recognized at an event Nov. 10... MORE

Brig. Gen. Caroline M. Miller, 502d Air Base Wing and Joint Base San Antonio commander, speaks during the Lindbergh Demolition Project partnership recognition event, Nov. 10, 2020, in Universal City, Texas.

JBSA continues HPCON CHARLIE protective measures
August 20, 2020 — As Joint Base San Antonio prepares to begin reopening services through phased, deliberate measures, personnel continue to follow the guidelines, such as physical distancing and capacity limits, established by local and state leaders, as well as the Department of Defense and Centers for Disease Control, in order to limit the spread of COVID-19 within the community... MORE

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.

Esper thanks diversity, inclusion board for tackling tough subjects
July 16, 2020 — At its first meeting July 15, the Defense Department's Board on Diversity and Inclusion pledged to rid the department of systemic discrimination. ... MORE

U.S. Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper speaks during a lunch with Airmen at RAF Mildenhall.

JBSA environmental program takes off with UAS technology
July 14, 2020 — What began as a project to improve land surveying, floodplain mapping, vegetation classification and endangered species management at Joint Base San Antonio-Camp Bullis has become a revolutionary innovation that could save the Air Force millions of dollars and countless hours of labor... MORE

An unmanned aerial system is prepared for a test flight July 9, 2020, at Joint Base San Antonio-Camp Bullis, Texas.

San Antonio Military Health System expands COVID-19 critical care capabilities
July 14, 2020 — The San Antonio Military Health System is expanding its ability to care for critically injured and ill community members to help ease the COVID-19 burden on the local healthcare system... MORE

Members of the 555th Forward Surgical Team rush a simulated trauma patient to surgery during training with the Strategic Trauma Readiness Center of San Antonio, or STaRC, at Brooke Army Medical Center.

ARNORTH to oversee military COVID-19 operations in Texas, California
July 13, 2020 — At the request of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and state officials, approximately 740 Department of Defense medical and support professionals from the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force are assigned as part of DOD’s ongoing COVID-19 operations in Texas and California. As part of the whole-of-America response, U.S. Army North, U.S. Northern Command’s Joint Forces Land Component Command, will oversee the military operation in support of federal efforts and the state... MORE

Army Capt. Stacey Johnson, critical care nurse from Urban Augmentation Medical Task Force-627, provides positioning aids to a COVID-19 patient

DOD updates travel restrictions, releases list of 'green locations'
June 9, 2020 — The Secretary of Defense recently signed a memo, moving to a conditions-based, phased approach to personnel movement and travel... MORE

JBSA one of seven DOD installations named as sites for second round of 5G technology testing, experimentation
June 3, 2020 — Joint Base San Antonio has been named by the Department of Defense as one of seven U.S. military installations as the latest sites where it will conduct fifth-generation (5G) communications technology experimentation and testing... MORE

The Department of Defense has named seven U.S. military installations as the latest sites where it will conduct fifth-generation (5G) communications technology experimentation and testing.

DOD officials unveil COVID-related personnel, move guidance
May 28, 2020 — Defense Department officials outlined a conditions-based approach to relaxing the stop-movement order that has been in effect since early March due to the coronavirus pandemic... MORE

Fourth graders go behind the 'virtual' scenes at K-9 training
May 21, 2020 — The 341st Training Squadron conducts all military working dog initial training, as well as all MWD handlers' courses, for the Department of Defense at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. This elite team was able to share what they do with a class of fourth-grade students from Buda Elementary School during a virtual canine demonstration May 18. ... MORE

The 341st Training Squadron conducts all military working dog initial training as well as all MWD handlers courses for the Department of Defense right here at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. This elite team was able to share what they do with a class of 4th grade students from Buda Elementary School during a virtual canine demonstration, May 18, 2020.

Special leave accrual for service members
April 20, 2020 — Matthew Donovan, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, signed a department-wide authorization April 6 for service members to accrue and retain an additional leave balance of up to 120 days... MORE

DOD ramps up COVID-19 response efforts from coast to coast
April 11, 2020 — The coronavirus pandemic is slowing down a lot of things, but not the Defense Department’s medical apparatus, which is now operating from coast to coast to bring its medical expertise and capacity to bear on the medical crisis around the nation... MORE

DOD continually examines, modifies COVID-19 response
April 4, 2020 — The Defense Department is adjusting to the COVID-19 pandemic and leaders at all levels are looking at resources, processes and personnel needed to fight the virus, said Jonathan Rath Hoffman, assistant to the secretary of defense for public affairs, during a Pentagon news conference April 3... MORE

DOD establishes task force to meet U.S. medical equipment needs
March 27, 2020 — The Defense Department has established a joint task force to deal with daily requests the department is receiving for medical and personal protective equipment from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the departments of Health and Human Services and Homeland Security, and others... MORE

DOD releases overseas stop movement order in response to COVID-19
March 26, 2020 — Building upon previously enacted movement restrictions governing foreign travel, permanent change of station moves, temporary duty and personal leave, this stop movement order will also impact exercises, deployments, redeployments and other global force management activities. Approximately 90,000 service members slated to deploy or redeploy over the next 60 days will likely be impacted by this stop movement order... MORE

DOD poised to provide masks, ventilators, labs for coronavirus fight
March 18, 2020 — The Defense Department will make available up to 5 million respirator masks and other personal protective equipment from its strategic reserves to the Department of Health and Human Services for distribution, DOD Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper said during a news conference at the Pentagon March 18, adding that the first million masks would be made available immediately... MORE

DOD issues flexible instructions on response to Coronavirus
March 10, 2020 — The Department of Defense issued memos responding to the need for operations to continue during the outbreak. The DOD documents build on messages from the Office of Personnel Management issued March 7... MORE

One hundred forty-seven passengers traveling from China’s Hubei province arrived at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland Feb. 7. They evacuated China to avoid infection by the 2019 Novel Coronavirus, spreading from the city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the global epidemic.

Military health system changes focus on readiness
February 21, 2020 — The Military Health System is implementing significant reforms aimed at building a more integrated and effective system of readiness and health, the assistant secretary of defense for health affairs said Feb. 19... MORE