Honolulu - March 1st, 2016 is the day that the Army Enlisted Medical Corps celebrate its 129th anniversary.
For 129 years, the Army Enlisted Medical Corps has provided quality care and selfless service to Soldiers, Retirees and Family members on the home front and on the battlefield.
Currently, there are more than 36,000 Soldiers in the Enlisted Medical Corps and the Soldiers are attached to one of 17 military occupational specialties.
A brief history of the Enlisted Medical Corps goes back to 1847, when the U.S. Army Surgeon General had asked Congress several times to authorize positions for Hospital Stewards and stating that he would set up a formal school to train them.
However, his requests were continuously turned down. Later in 1851, the Army issued an addendum to the Regulations for the Uniform and Dress of the U.S. Army that authorized a "Half Chevron" consisting of a green background with yellow trim and a Caduceus to denote the rank of the Hospital Steward.
In 1856, the Congress authorized the Secretary of War to appoint as many Hospital Stewards as needed in the Army and mustered onto the hospital rolls as "NCO's."
This action permanently attached the stewards to the Medical Department.
Finally, on March 1st, 1887, the Hospital Corps was established.
"New Chevrons" denoting the ranks of the Hospital Stewards were introduced similar to the chevrons worn by all NCO's in the Army.
Hospital Stewards wore full sized chevrons that had three stripes below and one on top with a Red Cross in the center.
Acting Hospital Stewards wore the same chevrons except for the stripe on top.
Privates of the Hospital Corps wore the "white arm band with a Red Cross." Since then, March 1st has been considered the "Anniversary of the Hospital Corps."
The Army Enlisted Medical Corps Soldiers contribute to today's overall 90 percent survivability rate for combat-injured service members and are an invaluable asset in the health care process.
These individuals work tirelessly to keep our Soldiers, Retirees and Families healthy.
Here at Tripler Army Medical Center, the Enlisted Medical Corps Soldiers have been assisting command teams in maintaining the readiness of individuals, families and communities within America's Army and other uniformed services by developing, coordinating and delivering services which promote safety, access, self-reliance, resiliency and stability during war and peace.
(Jim Goose Guzior, TAMC PAO, contributed to this article)
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