CRDAMC celebrates 241 years of Army Medicine

The Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center (CRDAMC), Fort Hood, Texas, held an all-encompassing party July 27 to celebrate Army Medicine and the Army Medical Corps' 241st birthday, as well as a belated celebration of the Army Medical Service Corps' June 30, 1917, founding.

The oldest and youngest representatives from each Corps participated in the ceremonial saber cake-cutting.

The representatives from each service, old to young, were: Medical Service Corps: Col. Kevin Stevens and Capt. Ryan Woodfield; Medical Corps: Lt. Col. Carlina Madelaire and Capt. Jessica Rosales; Army Medicine: Sgt. 1st Class Russell Lane and Pvt. Somer Turner (military) and Corazon Mamaril and Kayla Sanders (civilian). Hosting the cake-cutting ceremony was CRDAMC's command team: Col. Mark Thompson, commander, and Command Sgt. Maj. Gary Williams, command sergeant major.

From left, Corazon Mamaril, Kayla Sanders, Capt. Ryan Woodfield, Col. Kevin Stevens, Col. Mark Thompson, Command Sgt. Maj. Gary Williams, Lt. Col. Carlina Madelaire, Capt. Jessica Rosales, Sgt. 1st Class Russell Lane and Pvt. Somer Turner.

According to official Army history, the Army Medical Department and the Medical Corps trace their origins to July 27, 1775, when the Continental Congress established the Army hospital headed by a "Director General and Chief Physician." Congress provided a medical organization of the Army only in time of war or emergency until 1818, which marked the inception of a permanent and continuous Medical Department. The Army Nurse Corps dates from 1901, the Dental Corps from 1911, the Veterinary Corps from 1916, the Medical Service Corps from 1917, and the Army Medical Specialist Corps from 1947. The Army Organization Act of 1950 renamed the Medical Department as the Army Medical Service. On June 4, 1968, the Army Medical Service was redesignated the Army Medical Department.

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Carl R. Darnal Army Medical Center