MEDCoE hosts first educator tour since the pandemic

By Tish Williamson Medical Center of Excellence Director, CommunicationJune 29, 2021

Staff Sgt. Jessica Franklin, U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence, or MEDCoE, provided a tour and demonstration of the flight paramedic training simulator during an educator visit to the Critical Care Flight Paramedic Course as part of a larger visit, sponsored by the Southern California Recruiting Battalion, to Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, Texas, June 23-24, 2021.
1 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Staff Sgt. Jessica Franklin, U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence, or MEDCoE, provided a tour and demonstration of the flight paramedic training simulator during an educator visit to the Critical Care Flight Paramedic Course as part of a larger visit, sponsored by the Southern California Recruiting Battalion, to Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, Texas, June 23-24, 2021. (Photo Credit: Courtesy photo) VIEW ORIGINAL
Col. Larry Lindsay, Senior Service Lead and Branch Chief, Interservice Physician Assistant Program, provides a program overview to high school educators from the Southern California area during a tour of the U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence as part of a larger visit, sponsored by the Southern California Recruiting Battalion, to Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, Texas, June 23-24, 2021.
2 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Col. Larry Lindsay, Senior Service Lead and Branch Chief, Interservice Physician Assistant Program, provides a program overview to high school educators from the Southern California area during a tour of the U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence as part of a larger visit, sponsored by the Southern California Recruiting Battalion, to Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, Texas, June 23-24, 2021. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Mr. J.M. Harmon III, Deputy to the Commanding General, U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence, or MEDCoE, provided opening remarks for nearly a dozen high school teachers, counselors, administrators, and recruiting battalion leaders, marking a revival of an annual U.S. Army Recruiting Command initiative that highlights educational opportunities in the Army. MEDCoE hosted Southern California Educators at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, Texas, June 23-24, 2021.
3 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Mr. J.M. Harmon III, Deputy to the Commanding General, U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence, or MEDCoE, provided opening remarks for nearly a dozen high school teachers, counselors, administrators, and recruiting battalion leaders, marking a revival of an annual U.S. Army Recruiting Command initiative that highlights educational opportunities in the Army. MEDCoE hosted Southern California Educators at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, Texas, June 23-24, 2021. (Photo Credit: Courtesy photo) VIEW ORIGINAL
Randall Anderson, PhD, Deputy Chief of Staff, U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence, or MEDCoE, provided a command brief to educators from the Southern California area during a tour of the U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence as part of a larger visit, sponsored by the Southern California Recruiting Battalion, to Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, Texas, June 23-24, 2021.
4 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Randall Anderson, PhD, Deputy Chief of Staff, U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence, or MEDCoE, provided a command brief to educators from the Southern California area during a tour of the U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence as part of a larger visit, sponsored by the Southern California Recruiting Battalion, to Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, Texas, June 23-24, 2021. (Photo Credit: Courtesy photo) VIEW ORIGINAL

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas –The U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence, or MEDCoE, opened its doors for recruiting tours for the first time in over a year. Due to COVID-19 mitigation measures, public tours of the Army’s proponent for medical training and education had been suspended since March 2021. Educators from the Southern California area were invited to tour the MEDCoE as part of a larger visit sponsored by the Southern California Recruiting Battalion to Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, Texas, June 23-24.

Mr. J.M. Harmon III, Deputy to the Commanding General, MEDCoE, hosted nearly a dozen high school teachers, counselors, administrators, and recruiting battalion leaders, marking a revival of an annual U.S. Army Recruiting Command initiative that highlights educational opportunities in the Army.

The overall purpose of the visit was to ensure these community leaders learn about the countless opportunities available to high school and college students and citizen providers so they may depart Fort Sam Houston with a shared purpose of informing Americans about the many benefits the Army and Army Medicine have to offer.

“We are pleased to be able to open our doors to support this important mission,” Harmon said. “As these educators learn more about the MEDCoE, they become our ally to help identify and assess the right talent, skills and credentials in future Soldiers and officers.”

The MEDCoE is the Army’s largest civilian-accredited service school and trains more than 35,000 students annually through 192 health-related programs of instruction at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston. The center’s trainees represent soldiers in 94 officer and warrant officer medical areas of concentration and 24 enlisted medical military occupational specialties.

During the two-day event, attendees received overview briefs and tours on key specialty areas, programs and courses that highlight the MEDCoE as a premier 21st century medical education institution to include physician assistants, critical care flight paramedics, dental laboratory assistants, clinical specialties, and veterinary assistants.

Visitors also got a better idea of the size and scope of the Army Medicine mission and the world class healthcare being provided to our Soldiers, retirees and veterans through a tour of the Center for the Intrepid and received a facility and resource brief from the JBSA Education Center.

Typically, MEDCoE hosts at least one educator recruitment tour per quarter. Tours beyond the recruiting visits are not yet available to the general public or the local student population due to COVID concerns. To learn more about careers available in Army medicine, visit www.goarmy.com/amedd.