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A contingent of Air Force and Navy instructors from the Department of Defense Medical Education and Training Campus in Fort Sam Houston, Texas captured the top prize at the 2012 Emergency Medical Technician Rodeo held Sept. 22 at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico.

Capt. Gail L. Hathaway was selected to assume command of the Navy Medicine Education and Training Command (NMETC) at a recent Change of Command ceremony held at Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, FL.

The occasion also marked the renaming of the Navy Medicine Support Command (NMSC).  Commissioned Nov. 1, 2005, the command is now known as NMETC. The realignment of NMSC stems from the Navy Surgeon General's vision of streamlining Navy Medicine into a more effective, efficient and responsive organization that improves accountability, and command and control.

NMETC is part of the Navy Medicine enterprise, a global health care network of 63,000 Navy medical personnel around the world who provide high-quality health care to more than one million eligible beneficiaries. Navy Medicine personnel deploy with sailors and Marines worldwide, providing critical mission support aboard ship, in the air, under the sea and on the battlefield.

Read more about Navy Medicine Support change of command.

Instructors and staff of the Medical Education and Training Campus (METC) received an extraordinary opportunity when three military surgeons general made joint all-hands appearances during a visit to METC at Fort Sam Houston, Texas on May 30. 

Lt. Gen. Charles Green, surgeon general of the Air Force; Vice Adm. Matthew Nathan, surgeon general of the Navy and chief, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery; and Lt. Gen. Patricia Horoho, surgeon general and commanding general, U.S. Army Medical Command and their senior enlisted leaders addressed the METC audience and answered questions.

“The six of us are here for a couple of reasons. The first is to say ‘thank you’,” Nathan told the METC audience during the all-hands call.  He added, “We want to support integrated training, iron out wrinkles and smooth out seams. You represent the future and set the culture for integration.”

The purpose of the visit was to ensure that METC continues on the path to joint success, and to ask what they can do to help maintain efforts to integrate training among the services.

In addition to the all-hands calls, the surgeons general held discussions with senior leaders from METC and the Army, Navy and Air Force component commands that support METC. They also toured METC’s Basic Medical Technician Corpsman Program and Department of Combat Medic Training where they observed students engaged in the classroom, laboratory simulation and a live training exercise.

The Basic Medical Technician Corpsman Program (BMTCP), the historic first services collaboration of entry level enlisted medical program, completed its first year this month.  Members of the U.S. Navy and Air Force, alongside the inaugural commandant, Navy Rear Admiral Bob Kiser, marked the occasion with a cake cutting ceremony, celebrating this significant milestone. 

Starting with a combined staff of 89 Navy Air Force instructors and 194 students a year ago, the BMTCP has graduated more than 4,700 Navy and Air Force students and now has a combined staff of more than 200 personnel.  Students are educated, trained and prepared with the necessary capabilities and proper tools to deploy all over the world in support of the nation’s war fighters and their families.

For more information about the BMTCP or other programs visit the Medical Education and Training Campus. 

The Medical Education and Training Campus (METC) hosted medical officers from the Nigerian navy this month for a tour and discussions about medical training capabilities and curriculum, the first step in an ongoing effort by METC, in coordination with U.S. Naval Forces Africa (NAVAF), to assist the Nigerians with improving their military medical training capabilities.

Working through NAVAF, METC will assess the Nigerian navy’s medical training programs, make recommendations for improvement and help with curriculum development. Part of the NAVAF mission is to support medical capacity building in partner nations through Africa Partnership Station (APS).  APS is a series of activities designed to build maritime safety and security in Africa through working together with African and other international partners.