Joint Base San Antonio > News

Strong foundation early in life contributes to heart disease prevention
February 6, 2020 — High rates of obesity and high blood pressure are placing people ages 35-64 at risk for heart disease earlier in life, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention... MORE

Heart disease is most often associated with older adults, but younger people are not immune from its devastating effects.
High rates of obesity and high blood pressure are placing people ages 35-64 at risk for heart disease earlier in life, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
(U.S. Army graphic by Rebecca Westfall)

Army offering incentives to medical specialties
February 6, 2020 — The U.S. Army is looking for motivated health professionals and has added eight medical specialties to the list of part-time careers eligible for $25,000-$75,000 in bonuses per year... MORE

Secretary of Defense advises service members against using DTC genetic testing
February 6, 2020 — It has come to the attention of the Department of Defense that some direct-to-consumer, or DTC, genetic testing companies are encouraging DOD personnel to purchase genetic ancestry and health information through the offering of military discounts or other incentives... MORE

Airman 1st Class Chris Lawson, 20th Medical Support Squadron lab technician, places a drop of blood on a slide in the medical clinic at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., Dec. 9, 2019. Lawson allowed the slide to dry before staining with different colors to make components such as white and red blood cells stand out from each other.

Altitude chamber takes your breath away
February 6, 2020 — The 359th Aerospace Medicine Squadron's aerospace and operational physiology unit trains potential aviators about human performance in the air... MORE

The aerospace and operational physiology unit at JBSA-Randolph sees over 5,000 student come through its doors every year with the purpose of learning how to combat the physiological dangers of flying such as hypoxia and spatial disorientation.

Army South welcomes Brazilian leaders in preparation for PANAMAX
February 5, 2020 — PANAMAX will be held at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, Louisiana, and in Sao Paulo, Brazil... MORE

In preparation for this year’s PANAMAX multinational exercise and upcoming combined training, U.S. Army South hosted Brazilian army Maj. Gen. Marcos De Sá Affonso Da Costa, Brazilian director of training, and Maj. Gen. Josias Pedrotti Da Rosa, Brazilian army attaché to the United States, and their delegation at Army South headquarters, Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, Feb. 4. PANAMAX will be held at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, Louisiana, and in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Distracted Walking; Heads up, Phones Down
February 5, 2020 — The JBSA Safety Staff has noticed is an increase of people, civilian, military and dependents alike, spending a large amount time looking down, looking at their cell phones. These individuals are participating in a very dangerous habit, TEXTING WHILE WALKING... MORE

Distracted walking incidents are on the rise, and everyone with a cell phone is at risk. We are losing focus on our surroundings and putting our safety at risk. The solution: Stop using phones while walking, and not just in crosswalks and intersections. Over half of distracted walking injuries occur in our own homes, proving that we need to stay aware of our surroundings whether indoors and out.

Exercise Sudden Response 20 showcases task force support to civil authorities
February 5, 2020 — Members of Joint Task Force Civil Support, or JTF-CS, at the direction of U.S. Army North and U.S. Northern Command, rehearsed force and equipment employment, life-saving operations, and web-based command and control collaborative tools Jan. 23 to 29 in Killeen, Austin and Fort Hood, Texas, to ensure capabilities for Defense Support of Civil Authorities... MORE

Service members assigned to the 3rd Platoon, 68th Engineer Company urban rescue team conduct a car rescue during a simulated urban search and rescue mission Jan. 25 as part of Exercise Sudden Response 20.

New AFIMSC tool streamlines support agreement program
February 5, 2020 — A new tool developed by the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center Installation Support Directorate consolidates everything base-level support agreement managers need to do their jobs into one tool... MORE

Donna Johnson, AFIMSC support agreement manager, reviews documents loaded into the Support Agreements Management Tool, or SAM-T.

Pentagon website adds ‘Spotlight’ page for coronavirus updates
February 4, 2020 — The Defense Department has created a “Spotlight” page on its website to convey latest updates as the novel coronavirus continues to spread, according to a Pentagon release... MORE

This illustration provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in January 2020 shows the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV). (CDC via AP)

Defense Language Institute beta tests new program similar to U.S. Army Echo Company
February 4, 2020 — Nested in the corner of Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland lies the Defense Language Institute English Language Center. Identifiable by its kempt campus, DLIELC is home to more than 400 civilian and... MORE

Echo Company trainees pose for a photo in a Defense Language Institute English Language Center hallway between classes. Along with English language training and pre-basic training, trainees have the opportunity to react with the 70 other unique countries on campus at one time.

JBSA-Lackland supports HHS quarantine of American citizens
February 4, 2020 — A town hall is scheduled at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland Feb. 5 at 5 p.m. in the Gateway Club to answer questions about the repatriation of American citizens due to the current coronavirus outbreak in China. The town hall will allow representatives from the Department of Health and Human Services and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to hear concerns from local residents. More information on when and where the town halls will take place will be released in the next few days. ... MORE

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that the coronavirus, named 2019-nCoV, is similar to the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus in that it is spread from animals to people. The MERS virus particles are in blue, surrounding an infected cell. The undated image was taken at Fort Detrick, Maryland.

UPDATE 2: CDC Novel Coronavirus Response Support
February 4, 2020 — #JBSAupdate - Comments and concerns have been captured, and 502nd ABW Public Affairs is in the process of creating a “fact sheet/FAQ" to provide a detailed response to questions. ... MORE

UPDATE 1: CDC Novel Coronavirus Response Support
February 4, 2020 — Update: We hear and understand the concerns of our community and family members regarding JBSA’s support for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for the potential repatriation of American citizens who are subject to a federal quarantine... MORE

CDC Novel Coronavirus Response Support
February 4, 2020 — In support of the Department of Health and Human Service's request to the DOD to provide facilities capable of housing at least 250 people in individual rooms through February 29, 2020, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland was selected. Base officials are actively coordinating this support for lodging and associated services to accommodate HHS... MORE

BAMC hosts tobacco cessation program for beneficiaries
February 4, 2020 — The Brooke Army Medical Center Pulmonary Tobacco Cessation Team at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston is helping beneficiaries reduce and eliminate their dependence on a variety of tobacco products... MORE

An Airman vapes in an authorized smoking area during a break. As of Oct. 29, 2019, more than 1,800 lung injury cases and 37 deaths have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with the only commonality among all cases being the patient’s use of e-cigarettes or vaping products.

BAMC takes critical-care training on the road
February 4, 2020 — A team of four pulmonary/critical care physicians from Brooke Army Medical Center at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston provided a two-day training event Jan. 14-15 at Fort Carson, Colorado, focused on skills within individual critical tasks lists, or ICTL, necessary to care for wounded service members while deployed overseas... MORE

Army Maj. Michal Sobieszczyk demonstrates how to perform a cricothyrotomy Jan. 14 for doctors with 4th Infantry Division and the U.S. Air Force Academy at Evans Army Community Hospital’s new medical simulation lab. Sobieszczyk is a pulmonary/critical care doctor who provided joint education with his critical-care mobile training team assigned to Brooke Army Medical Center at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston.

360 Leaders Course empowers leaders at JBSA-Lackland
February 3, 2020 — The 502nd Air Base Wing welcomed the 50th class of the 360 Leaders Course to Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland Jan. 27. The course is a week-long, science-based leadership course that provides comprehensive, holistic training in personal health, wellness and resiliency, which empowers participants to guide airmen under their care with compassion and understanding. ... MORE

The next transition from ABUs to OCPs: what to expect
February 3, 2020 — The next transition before the final uniform change from the Airman Battle Uniform to the newly regulated Operation Camouflage Pattern combat uniform will be effective June 1, 2020, for all Airmen... MORE

AFPC hosts inaugural innovation symposium
February 3, 2020 — The Air Force’s Personnel Center’s new Innovation Cell hosted an inaugural innovation symposium Jan. 15-16 at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph. The event featured guest speakers, presentations and an expo, and also served as the platform to launch an internal idea crowdsourcing campaign called “Wild Ideas.”... MORE

A photograph of uniformed members talking about innovation

AETC Security Forces announces 2020 Defender Challenge team
February 3, 2020 — Three Joint Base San Antonio Security Forces Airmen were among the seven selected to represent Air Education and Training Command during the Air Force-wide Defender Challenge competition to be held in May 2020... MORE

U.S. Air Force Security Forces Airmen pose for a photo after being selected to represent AETC’s team, Jan. 31, 2020, at Joint Base San Antonio-Medina Annex. The seven selectees to the AETC team will represent the First Command at the career field’s world-wide competition that will be held at JBSA-Camp Bullis in May 2020. (From left to right) Staff Sgt. Isreael Camille (alternate), 37th Training Support Squadron, JBSA-Lackland; Senior Airman Jonathan Hardy, 97th Security Forces Squadron, Altus Air Force Base, Okla.; Senior Airman Craig Smith, 71st Security Forces Squadron, Vance Air Forces Base, Okla.; Airman 1st Class Ryan Franklin, 802nd Security Forces Squadron, JBSA-Lackland; Staff Sgt. Wilson Brantley, 802nd Security Forces Squadron military working dog handler, JBSA-Lackland; Staff Sgt. William McLaughlin, 502nd Security Forces Squadron, JBSA-Ft. Sam Houston; Staff Sgt. Jesse Daniel, 81st Security Forces Squadron; Master Sgt. Sean McDermott (alternate), 56th Security Forces Squadron, Luke Air Force Base, Ariz.; Senior Airman Paul Cupp, 42nd Security Forces Squadron, Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, Ala.; Senior Airman Andrew Vance (alternate), 902nd Security Forces Squadron military working dog handler, JBSA-Randolph. (U.S. Air Force photo by Sarayuth Pinthong)