Army Medical Department ( United States ) - wikipedia Army Medical Department ( United States ) This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( February 2011 ) Army Medical Department U.S. Army Medical Department Regimental flag Active 1775 -- present day Country United States Branch United States Army Motto ( s ) `` Experientia et Progressus '' The Army Medical Department of the U.S. Army ( AMEDD ), formerly the Army Medical Service ( AMS ), encompasses the Army 's six medical Special Branches ( or `` Corps '' ). It was established as the `` Army Hospital '' in July 1775 to coordinate the medical care required by the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. The AMEDD is led by the Surgeon General of the U.S. Army, a lieutenant general. The AMEDD is the U.S. Army 's healthcare organization ( as opposed to an Army Command ), and is present in the Active Army, the U.S. Army Reserve, and the Army National Guard components. It is headquartered at Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas, which hosts the AMEDD Center and School ( AMEDDC&S ). Large numbers of AMEDD senior leaders can also be found in the Washington D.C. area, divided between the Pentagon and the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center ( WRNMMC ). The Academy of Health Sciences, within the AMEDDC&S, provides training to the officers and enlisted service members of the AMEDD. As a result of BRAC 2005, enlisted medical training was transferred to the new Medical Education and Training Campus, consolidating the majority of military - enlisted medical training in Fort Sam Houston. The current Surgeon General of the U.S. Army and U.S. Army Medical Command ( MEDCOM ) commander is LTG Nadja West. Contents 1 History 2 Heraldry 2.1 Coat of arms 2.2 Regimental insignia ( crest ) 2.3 Branch ( corps ) insignia 3 Medical special branches 3.1 Medical Corps ( MC ) 3.2 Nurse Corps ( AN ) 3.3 Dental Corps ( DC ) 3.4 Veterinary Corps ( VC ) 3.5 Medical Service Corps ( MS ) 3.6 Medical Specialist Corps ( SP ) 4 Enlisted Medical Career Management Fields ( CMFs ) 5 Museum 6 Badges 7 See also 8 References 8.1 Citations 8.2 Further reading 9 External links History Both the AMEDD and the Army Medical Corps trace their origins back to July 27, 1775, when the Continental Congress established the `` Army Hospital '', which was at that time overseen by the `` Director General and Chief Physician ''. Congress provided an Army medical organization only in times of war or emergency until 1818, at which point it created a permanent `` Medical Department ''. The Army Nurse Corps originated in 1901, the Dental Corps began in 1911, the Veterinary Corps in 1916 ; the Medical Service Corps emerged in 1917 ; and the Army Medical Specialist Corps came into existence in 1947. The Army Organization Act of 1950 renamed the Medical Department the `` Army Medical Service '' ( AMS ) and on June 4, 1968, the AMS was renamed the Army Medical Department ( AMEDD ). Heraldry Coat of arms Main article : Army Medical Department regimental coat of arms A regimental coat of arms was devised for the Medical Department, and was most likely first used in 1818. The 20 white stars on a blue background and the red and white stripes represent the U.S. flag of 1818. The green staff entwined with a green serpent combined two symbols : the rod of Asclepius from classical mythology, symbolic of medicine and healing ; and the color green associated with the Medical Corps during the last half of the 19th century. The colors Argent ( silver / white ) and Gules ( red ) are those associated with the flag of the United States. The rooster is associated with the ancient Greek and Roman god of healing and medicine, Aesculapius. The Ancient Greeks believed that the rooster 's crowing at dawn drove away the evil disease spreading demons from the temples so that it could be a place of healing. The torse ( twisted rope ) below the rooster shows alternating blue and silver colors which were the colors of the Army in 1818. The Latin motto Experientia et Progressus, ( Experience and Progress ), is meant to convey the steady and unfailing progress of the Army Medical Department since 1775. Regimental insignia ( crest ) The AMEDD Regimental Insignia The design of the AMEDD regimental insignia ( crest ) is derived from the regimental coat of arms. It is one of the US Army 's 14 regimental corps insignias. These insignias are worn over the right breast pocket on the Army Service Uniform ( ASU ) and signify the service member 's branch of service. The `` new '' AMEDD insignia was approved on 27 October 2014. Branch ( Corps ) insignia See also : Rod of Asclepius and Caduceus as a symbol of medicine In 1851, `` a caduceus embroidered in yellow silk on a half chevron of emerald green silk '' was first authorized and worn by hospital stewards of the Medical Department. The caduceus in its present form was approved in 1902. Today, the AMEDD branch corps insignia is a gold color medal caduceus, 1 inch in height. With the exception of the Medical Corps, each Corps is identified by a black enamel letter ( or letters ) centered on the caduceus indicative of the specific branch. The insignia for Medical Service Corps is silver. Rooted in classical mythology and associated with the Greek god Hermes, the US Army 's long - standing use of the caduceus has made it a well known emblem of physicians and medical skill throughout the world. ( Purists, however, often assert that the rod of Asclepius, with its single serpent, is the more proper medical emblem. ) Medical Special branches There are currently six special officer branches ( corps ) in the AMEDD. Medical Corps ( MC ) Main article : Medical Corps ( United States Army ) The Medical Corps consists of commissioned medical officers who are physicians ( Doctors of Medicine and Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine ) who have completed at least one year of post-graduate training ( internship ) or have been promoted from O - 1 to O - 3 following completion of medical school through USUHS or the HPSP. The MC traces its origins to 27 July 1775, when the Continental Congress created `` a Hospital '', essentially a Medical Department and corps of physicians, for the Continental Army. Medical officers in the United States Army were authorized uniforms only in 1816 and were accorded military rank only in 1847. Congress made the designation of `` Medical Corps '' official in 1908, although the term had long been in use informally among the AMEDD 's regular physicians. Today, members of the MC work around the world at all echelons of the Army. The Chief of the MC is a major general, whereas the senior Army Medical Department officer is the Surgeon General ( a lieutenant general ). Military physicians serve in one of several general career fields. The three main fields are operational field, clinical field, and research field. Operational Medicine is the field of Army medicine that provides medical support to the soldier and his / her Chain of Command. Many operational physicians serve as Division, Brigade and Battalion level surgeons ( the word `` surgeon '' is used to identify a physician that is assigned to a unit as a primary care provider and not necessarily as a General Surgeon ). These physicians are either assigned through the `` PROFIS '' system or through permanent assignment ( PCS ). Deployments with units to combat theaters are for the duration of a deployment and the jobs are mostly filled by primary care physicians. A PROFIS provider can expect to be deployed away from their family for a total of 16 months ( 1 month before deployment, 12 months in theater, and 3 months for `` stabilization '' after return to the assigned units home station ). This means that primary care physicians are deployed for longer periods than most `` specialist physicians ''. A specialist ( i.e. General Surgeon, Pulmonologist, Cardiologist, Trauma Surgeon, Rheumatologist ) are usually deployed for 6 months. Operational Physicians should expect that more than 60 % of their time will be spent in administrative roles and non-patient care. 40 % of the operational providers time is spent caring for soldiers or supervising unit Physician Assistants ( PA ). With the recent Brigade Combat Team ( BCT ) restructuring, the demand for operational surgeons have increased. It is possible that the low retention rates of Captains and junior Major rank Physicians in the primary care fields are due to the discrepancies in deployment length and deployment frequency between primary care and specialty physicians. Clinical Medicine is the field of Army medicine in which a physician in uniform performs similar functions to a physician in the civilian arena. These physicians are assigned to a PROFIS unit in one of the various Army MEDCEN ( Medical Centers ) and MEDDAC ( Medical and Dental facilities ). Primary care physicians usually deploy to fill battalion level surgeon positions. Medical specialists deploy to support CSH ( combat support hospitals ) Research Medicine is filled by a minority of military physicians. Most of these research physicians are based in larger Army Medical Centers and the research institutes. Nurse Corps ( an ) Main article : Nurse Corps ( United States Army ) The Army Nurse Corps became a permanent corps of the Medical Department under the Army Reorganization Act ( 31 Stat. 753 ) passed by Congress on 2 February 1901. Its motto is `` EMBRACE THE PAST -- ENGAGE THE PRESENT -- ENVISION THE FUTURE '' and its mission statement declares `` All actions and tasks must lead and work toward promoting the wellness of Warriors and their families, supporting the delivery of Warrior and family healthcare, and all those entrusted to our care and ultimately, positioning the Army Nurse Corps as a force multiplier for the future of military medicine. '' Dental Corps ( DC ) See also : United States Army Dental Command The Dental Corps ( DC ) consists of commissioned officers holding the Doctor of Dental Surgery ( DDS ) degree or Doctor of Dental Medicine ( DMD ) degree. The chief of the Dental Corps is a major general. Enlisted soldiers may be assigned as dental assistants, although their collar insignia lacks the ' D ' and is the same as that worn by medics. Army Dental Corps Officers may train further in the following advanced training programs after Dental School : Advanced Education in General Dentistry Comprehensive Dentistry ( 2 year AEGD ) Endodontics Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics Pediatric Dentistry Periodontics Prosthodontics Public Health Dentistry Oral Pathology The US Army currently offers fellowship training in the following areas for Dental Corps Officers ( applicants must have already completed a recognized specialty training program ) : Oral - facial pain Maxillofacial prosthodontics Healthcare Administration Dental informatics The following ADA recognized specialties are not represented in the US Army Dental Corps : Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology The chief of the Army Dental Corps is Major General Thomas R. `` Rob '' Tempel, Jr. His father, Major General Thomas R. Tempel, Sr. served as Chief of the Army Dental Corps from 1990 - 1994. This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. ( January 2009 ) Veterinary Corps ( vc ) Main article : Veterinary Corps ( United States Army ) The U.S. Army Veterinary Corps was established by an Act of Congress on 3 June 1916. Recognition of the need for veterinary expertise had been evolving since 1776 when General Washington directed that a `` regiment of horse with a farrier '' be raised. It has evolved to include sanitary food inspectors and animal healthcare specialists. The Veterinary Corps consists of commissioned doctors of veterinary medicine. Warrant officers are the core of its food inspection service. Enlisted personnel can serve as food inspection specialists and veterinary technicians ; enlisted personnel 's collar insignia lacks the ' V ' and is the same as that worn by medics. The Chief of the Veterinary Corps is Brigadier General Erik H Torring, III. Medical Service Corps ( ms ) The Medical Service Corps consists of commissioned and warrant officers. Members are required to hold at least a bachelor 's degree before receiving a commission. The MSC has the greatest range of duties performed by personnel. These may include administrative and support duties such as healthcare administrators, health services officers in operational units, healthcare comptrollers, healthcare informatics officers, patient administrators, health service human resource managers, health physicists, toxicologists, sanitary engineers, medical operations and plans officers, medical logisticians, health services maintenance technicians, and medical evacuation pilots. MSC officers serve in clinical support roles as clinical laboratory science officers, environmental science officers, pharmacists and preventive medicine officers. Medical Service Corps officers serve as commanders of field medical units in garrison and combat environments, and provide healthcare to patients as psychologists ( PhD, PsyD ), social workers ( MSW with state license ), optometrists, pharmacist, podiatrists, and audiologists. The Medical Service Corps also functions as a transitional branch, encompassing commissioned medical, dental, and veterinary students who have not completed their training through the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences ( USUHS ) or the Health Professions Scholarship Program ( HPSP ). Medical Service Corps officers are drawn from the various Army commissioning sources ( USMA, ROTC, and the federal and state Officer Candidate Schools ) following a branch - immaterial curriculum. Since a primary function of the Medical Service Corps is to manage combat health support activities, its officers hold general command authority and can compete for company and field grade command of medical support formations and detachments, as well as logistics and aviation commands along with officers of the `` Army competitive category '' branches ( infantry, ordnance, quartermaster, etc. ). In contrast, Medical Corps, Veterinary Corps and Dental Corps officers are limited to command billets specific to their respective corps ( e.g. AMEDD Immaterial commands for Medical, Nurse, and Medical Specialist Corps officers ; branch specific commands for Medical, Dental, and Veterinary Corps officers ). The Chief of the Medical Service Corps is Major General Patrick D. Sargent. Medical Specialist Corps ( SP ) The Army Medical Specialist Corps consists of commissioned officers. Members hold professional degrees and serve as clinical dietitians, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and physician assistants. Members of the SP serve all around the world and at all echelons of the Army. The Chief of the SP Corps is COL John E. Balser. Enlisted Medical career management fields ( cmfs ) There are currently 24 Military Occupational Specialties ( MOSs ) for enlisted medical soldiers : 68A Biomedical Equipment Specialist 68B Orthopedic Specialist 68C Practical Nursing Specialist 68D Operating Room Specialist 68E Dental Specialist 68F Physical Therapy Specialist 68G Patient Administration Specialist 68H Optical Laboratory Specialist 68J Medical Logistics Specialist 68K Medical Laboratory Specialist 68L Occupational Therapy Specialist 68M Nutrition Care Specialist 68N Cardiovascular Specialist 68P Radiology Specialist 68Q Pharmacy Specialist 68R Veterinary Food Inspection Specialist 68S Preventive Medicine Specialist 68T Animal Care Specialist 68U Ear, Nose, and Throat ( ENT ) Specialist 68V Respiratory Specialist 68W Combat Medic Specialist 68X Behavioral Health Specialist 68Y Eye Specialist 68Z Chief Medical NCO In addition, outside the AMEDD, is the Special Forces Medical Sergeant ( 18D ). Museum Main article : United States Army Medical Department Museum Badges Combat Medical Badge Expert Field Medical Badge Flight Surgeon Badge See also United States Army Medical Department Museum United States Army Medical Command ( MEDCOM ) Order of Military Medical Merit ( O2M3 ) Surgeon General of the United States Army ( TSG ) 68W ( 91W ) ( medic ; U.S. Army ) List of General Officers of the United States Army Medical Department in World War II List of ships of the United States Army # Hospital ships United States Army Ambulance Service ( World War I ) Battlefield medicine Combat Support Hospital ( CSH ) Field hospital Mobile Army Surgical Hospital ( MASH ) Military medicine U.S. Navy Dental Corps U.S. Air Force Dental Corps U.S. Navy Medical Corps U.S. Air Force Medical Corps U.S. Navy Medical Service Corps U.S. Air Force Biomedical Sciences Corps U.S. Air Force Medical Service Corps U.S. Navy Nurse Corps U.S. Air Force Nurse Corps References Citations Jump up ^ `` Fort Sam Houston '' ( PDF ). United States Air Force. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 23 January 2014. Retrieved 13 February 2011. Jump up ^ `` Fort Sam Houston ''. GlobalSecurity.org. 21 August 2005. Archived from the original on 13 March 2011. Retrieved 13 February 2011. Jump up ^ AMEDD Corps History Archived 2 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine... Office of Medical History. U.S. Army Medical Department ( AMEDD ). Retrieved 2011 - 08 - 26. Jump up ^ Army Medical Department ( AMEDD ), `` Training, history, education, FAQ '' ; Available from www.amedd.army.mil/ Jump up ^ Carolyn M. Feller ; Debora R. Cox, eds. ( 2000 ). Highlights in the history of the Army nurse corps. CMH Pub 85 - 1 ( Revised and Expanded ed. ). Washington, DC : United States Army Center of Military History. p. 103. Jump up ^ Dr. Valencia L. Dunbar ( 5 June 2014 ). `` The Tempel Legacy : Approaching a Century of Service to Army Medicine ''. The Official Homepage of the United States Army. United States Army. Archived from the original on 21 April 2016. Retrieved 3 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` Medical Service Corps ''. medicalservicecorps.amedd.army.mil. Archived from the original on 22 August 2017. Retrieved 4 May 2018. Jump up ^ AR 600 - 20, Army Command Policy Further reading Ashburn, Percy M. ( 1929 ), A History of the Medical Department of the United States Army, Boston : Houghton Mifflin. Bayne - Jones, Stanhope ( 1968 ), The Evolution of Preventive Medicine in the United States Army, 1607 -- 1939, Washington, D.C. : Office of the Surgeon General. Gillett, Mary C. ( 1981 ), The Army Medical Department, 1775 -- 1818, Washington, DC : United States Army Center of Military History, United States Army. ( Series : Army Historical Series ) Gillett, Mary C. ( 1987 ), The Army Medical Department, 1818 -- 1865, Washington, DC : Center of Military History, United States Army. ( Series : Army Historical Series ) Gillett, Mary C. ( 1995 ), The Army Medical Department, 1865 -- 1917, Washington, DC : Center of Military History, United States Army. ( Series : Army Historical Series ) Gillett, Mary C. ( 2009 ), The Army Medical Department, 1917 -- 1941, Washington, DC : Center of Military History, United States Army. ( Series : Army Historical Series ) Hume, Edgar Erskine ( 1943 ), Victories of Army Medicine : Scientific Accomplishments of the Medical Department of the United States Army, Philadelphia : Lippincott. McPherson, Darrell G. The Role of the Army Medical Service in the Dominican Republic. Washington D.C. : Office of the Surgeon General, Department of the Army. -- full text Tobey, James A. ( 1927 ), The Medical Department of the Army : Its History, Activities and Organization, Baltimore : Johns Hopkins Press ; Reprint : New York : AMS Press, 1974. Vuic, Kara Dixon. Officer, Nurse, Woman : The Army Nurse Corps in the Vietnam War ( Johns Hopkins University Press ; 2010 ) 320 pages ; Draws on more than 100 interviews Wintermute, Bobby A. Public Health and the U.S. Military : A History of the Army Medical Department, 1818 - 1917 ( Routledge, 2011 ) 283 pp. ISBN 978 - 0 - 415 - 88170 - 8 This article also contains information that originally came from US Government publications and websites and is in the public domain. External links Office of Medical History U.S. Army Medical Department official webpage ( on U.S. Army official website ). Retrieved 2009 - 12 - 05. U.S. Army Medical Corps official webpage ( on U.S. Army official website ). Retrieved 2009 - 12 - 05. U.S. Army Nurse Corps official webpage ( on U.S. Army official website ). Retrieved 2009 - 12 - 05. Army Nurse Corps History Army Nurse Corps history and WWII women 's uniforms in color ( WAC, WAVES, ANC, NNC, USMCWR, PHS, SPARS, ARC and WASP ) U.S. Army Veterinary Corps History WW2 U.S. Medical Research Centre US Army Nurse Corps Collection Digital Military Medicine Collections of the U.S. Army Academy of Health Sciences, Stimson Library LTG Schoomaker 's blog That Men Might Live ! : The Story of the Medical Service in WWII The short film Big Picture : The Army Medical Service Corps is available for free download at the Internet Archive United States Army Medical Command Portal : United States Army Category : United States Army Leadership Surgeon General of the United States Army Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs Army Medical Department Officers Medical Corps Nurse Corps Dental Corps Veterinary Corps Medical Service Corps Medical Specialist Corps Enlisted Enlisted medical soldiers Major Subordinate Commands Regional commands North Atlantic RMC Southeast RMC Great Plains RMC Western RMC Europe RMC Pacific RMC Others AMEDD Center & School U.S. Army Dental Cmd U.S. Army Medical Research & Materiel Cmd U.S. Army Public Health Cmd U.S. Army Warrior Transition Cmd Installations Fort Sam Houston Fort Detrick ( with Forest Glen Annex ) Medical Centers ( MEDCENs ) Stateside Brooke AMC Tripler AMC Eisenhower AMC Madigan AMC Womack AMC Beaumont AMC Carl R. Darnall AMC Overseas Landstuhl AMC Medical Department Activities ( MEDDACs ) Hospitals Bassett ACH Bayne Jones ACH Blanchfield ACH Brian Allgood ACH DeWitt ACH Evans ACH General Leonard Wood ACH Ireland ACH Irwin ACH Keller ACH Martin ACH McDonald ACH Moncrief ACH Reynolds ACH Weed ACH Winn ACH Clinics Bliss AHC Barquist AHC Bavaria MEDDAC DiLorenzo TRICARE HC Dunham AHC Fairfax FHC Fox AHC Guthrie MEDDAC Heidelberg MEDDAC Kimbrough ACC Kenner AHC Kirk AHC Lyster AHC Munson AHC Rader AHC Woodbridge AHC Camp Zama Field medical units Medical Commands AR - MEDCOM 807th MCDS 3rd MCDS Medical Groups 55th Med Gp 67th Med Gp Medical Brigades 1st Med BDE 2nd Med BDE 5th Med BDE 8th Med BDE 30th Med BDE 32nd Med BDE 44th Med BDE 62nd Med BDE 65th Med BDE 176th Med BDE 139th Med BDE 307th Med BDE 330th Med BDE 332nd Med BDE 338th Med BDE 804th Med BDE Combat Support Hospitals 10th CSH 14th CSH 21st CSH 28th CSH 31th CSH 47th CSH 48th CSH 75th CSH 115th CSH 121st CSH 212th CSH 228th CSH 256th CSH 325th CSH 328th CSH 345th CSH 349th CSH 352d CSH 396th CSH 399th CSH 405th CSH 452th CSH 801th CSH 865th CSH Forward Surgical Teams 1st FST 2nd FST 8th FST 67th FST 102nd FST 126th FST 135th FST 160th FST 240th FST 250th FST 274th FST ( ABN ) 402nd FST 541th FST ( ABN ) 555th FST 624th FST 628th FST 629th FST 691st FST 745th FST 758th FST 759th FST ( ABN ) 772nd FST 848th FST 874th FST 909th FST 911th FST 912th FST 915th FST 932nd FST 933rd FST 934th FST 936th FST 945th FST 946th FST 947th FST 948th FST 1980th FST 1982nd FST Education Centers, schools, etc AMEDD Center & School U.S. Army School of Aviation Medicine Borden Institute Museums National Museum of Health and Medicine AMEDD Museum Courses Captains Career Course Walter Reed Tropical Medicine Course Products Textbook of Military Medicine War Surgery in Afghanistan and Iraq Research Institutes & Centers Stateside Walter Reed Army Institute of Research ( WRAIR ) U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases ( USAMRIID ) U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense ( USAMRICD ) U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research ( ISR ) U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine ( USARIEM ) U.S. Army Center for Environmental Health Research Overseas Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Science ( AFRIMS ) United States Army Medical Research Unit - Europe ( USAMRU - E ) U.S. Army Medical Research Unit - Kenya ( USAMRU - K ) Makerere University Walter Reed Project ( MUWRP ) Historical List of former United States Army medical units Other Walter Reed Health Care System Military Vaccine Agency Medical Communications for Combat Casualty Care U.S. Army Medical Information Technology Center ( USAMITC ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Army_Medical_Department_(United_States)&oldid=853585563 '' Categories : Military medical organizations of the United States Branches of the United States Army 1775 establishments in the Thirteen Colonies Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links Use dmy dates from May 2011 Articles needing additional references from February 2011 All articles needing additional references Articles to be expanded from January 2009 All articles to be expanded Articles using small message boxes Talk Contents About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 5 August 2018, at 20 : 13 ( UTC ). 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Question: • what date did congress authorize the establishment of a medical service
Answer: in July 1775