Air Force, Army, Navy break ground on new joint medical training campus

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Jacob Corbin
  • 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs
SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  The next generation of military medical training got its start July 10 with the groundbreaking of the new Medical Education and Training Campus at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

Over 9,000 Air Force, Army and Navy personnel will begin training at the $500 million facility by September 2011.

Sheppard's 882nd Training Group - the Air Force's medical training "center of excellence," will be transferring to the METC under Base Realignment and Closure 2005.

"(This facility) will have a monumental impact on the Department of Defense, all the military services and San Antonio," said Col. Nancy Dezell, 882nd TRG commander. "It will train our future medics to take care of our troops and their families and will make San Antonio a medical training center of excellence."

The new campus will include five new instructional buildings, six dormitories to house the incoming students, a Air Force and a Navy headquarters, a dining facility, a gym and dedicated troop walks; in addition to renovating six existing Army Medical Department and School buildings.

Enlisted courses which have common curriculum will be combined and all enlisted service specific training will be co-located. All together, the METC will train an average Air Force student population of 1,200, an average Army population of 4,900 and an average Navy population of 2,900 - all trained by a staff and faculty of 3,600.

"Training together will maximize our efficiencies, enhance our joint capabilities and allow us to synchronize joint continuous medical care for our Soldiers, sailors, Marines, Airman and coastguardsmen," said Chief Master Sgt. Manuel Sarmina, senior enlisted advisor to the assistant secretary of defense for health affairs and advisor to the METC development committee. "Training together will help us to better understand the cultures of each of the services. We must not fear our differences or allow them to prevent us from succeeding- for its these differences that will make us better."

The Naval Air Station, Great Lakes, Ill.; the Naval Medical Center, Portsmouth, Va.; and the Naval Medical Center, San Diego, Calif., will all realign with the 882nd TRG and Army medical training at Fort Sam, under BRAC 2005.

Maj. Gen. Melissa A. Rank, chair of the BRAC Flag Officer's Steering Committee and assistant Air Force surgeon general, along with Fort Sam Houston commanding officer, Maj. Gen. Russell Czerw, officiated and hosted the event which culminates the start of the largest BRAC project ever.