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Nation celebrates Native American Heritage Month
November 9, 2023 — Native American men and women serve in the armed forces at five times the national average, and have served with distinction in every conflict since the birth of this country, a Department of Defense official said... MORE

Two dancers in traditional native clothing stand outdoors.

Native Americans have long service to the nation
December 14, 2022 — Native Americans have served in the U.S. military in every major conflict for more than 200 years. From the Revolutionary War to D-Day, Vietnam and the Middle East, American Indians have defended the United States... MORE

NAMRU San Antonio highlights Sara Blackcloud during Native American Heritage Month
November 21, 2022 — Native American Heritage Month marks a time to showcase and honor the many contributions Native Americans have made to the Department of Defense and the nation... MORE

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON – (Nov. 18, 2022) – Native American Heritage Month marks a time to showcase and honor the many contributions Native Americans have made to the Department of Defense (DoD) and the nation. For Naval Medical Research Unit (NAMRU) San Antonio, Sara BlackCloud, a financial management analyst, assigned to the Resource Management and Acquisitions Directorate, is a representation of the highly professional and diverse civilian workforce within the Department of the Navy. Born in San Bernardino, Calif., and raised in San Diego, BlackCloud has been a Navy civilian for six years. She first enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 2002 and enter service in the U.S. Army in 2008 deploying in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. NAMRU San Antonio's mission is to conduct gap driven combat casualty care, craniofacial, and directed energy research to improve survival, operational readiness, and safety of DoD personnel engaged in routine and expeditionary operations. NAMRU San Antonio is one of the leading research and development laboratories for the U.S. Navy under the DoD and is one of eight subordinate research commands in the global network of laboratories operating under the Naval Medical Research Center in Silver Spring, Md. (U.S. Navy photo by Burrell Parmer, NAMRU San Antonio Public Affairs/Released)

Why do Army helicopters have Native American names?
November 4, 2020 — You may have noticed there’s a pattern in U.S. Army helicopter names – Apache, Black Hawk, Chinook and others. These crucial aircraft are all named after Native American tribes or figures. But have you ever wondered why?... MORE

A U.S. Soldier with D Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment (Attack Reconnaissance), 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, conducts routine maintenance on a AH-64 Apache helicopter on Aug. 29, 2018, at Katterbach Army Airfield in Ansbach, Germany.