528th HC transfers authority to the 348th FH in Kuwait

CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait - The 528th Hospital Center transferred authority to the 348th Field Hospital in a ceremony Jan. 8, 2024. Soldiers of the 528th HC will return to Fort Bliss, Texas after completing a nine-month deployment.

Soldiers assigned to the 528th HC were deployed May 5, 2023, and served in support of Operation Spartan Shield in the U.S. Army Central’s Area of Responsibility.

The 528th HC has a long history. Activated Dec. 30, 1944, at Biak Island off the shore of Papua New Guinea in the South Pacific, it supported the liberation of the Philippines. After World War II, the 528th HC was redesignated as the 315th Hospital and was inactivated in July 1950. It was reactivated as the 528th HC, April 2018 at Fort Bliss, Texas.

“Colonel Ostrom and her team fully embraced our line of effort to help reset the medical theater and work to modernize the hospital during the entirety of their deployment,” Col. Thomas McMahan, commander, 3rd Medical Command (Forward), said.

While the 528th HC was in command of the U.S. Military Hospital-Kuwait, they worked closely with USARCENT and the 1st Theater Sustainment Command. The 528th HC secured $3.2 million to purchase new medical equipment, which included a new 128-Slide CT scanner. According to hospital leaders, this made a major impact and improved patient care because some equipment was seven years past its life cycle.

After Col. Tracy Ostrom and Command Sgt. Maj. Thuan V. Cao cased the 528th HC colors symbolizing the transfer of authority to the 348th FH, Ostrom thanked everyone. “I want to express my deepest gratitude to each and every one of you,” Ostrom said, “Your commitment, resilience, and unwavering dedication to our mission has been the driving force behind our success.”

The 348th FH is now overseeing the USMH-K and will continue to manage the facility remodeling project and ensuring that Soldiers across the USCENTCOM AOR receive the proper patient care.

“As the incoming commander, I look forward in creating additional plans and processes to ensure USMH-K propels during our tenure with regards to our primary mission as a Role III Hospital,” said Lt. Col. Sylvia. A. Hill, commander, 348th FH.

USMH-K is part of 3rd Medical Command (Forward) who provides comprehensive health service support throughout the theater. They possess a deep portfolio of specialties that includes expeditionary surgical, dental, optometry, preventive medicine, and veterinary services that offers fly-away capability anywhere in theater. Additionally, the command retains medical logistics capabilities that includes CL VIII supply and medical equipment repair.

The 1st Theater Sustainment Command is America’s only permanently deployed Sustainment Command in the Middle East that works alongside host nation allies and regional security partners providing Army, Joint, and multinational sustainment solutions in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility to deliver predictive and precise joint logistics, human resources, finance, health service support, and contracting capabilities to set and sustain the theater for multi-domain operations in competition or crisis.