Fort Sam Houston
Encyclopedia
Fort Sam Houston is a U.S. Army
post in San Antonio, Texas
.
Known colloquially as "Fort Sam," it is named for the first President of the Republic of Texas
, Sam Houston
.
The installation's missions include serving as the command headquarters for the United States Army North
(formerly the Fifth United States Army), United States Army South
, the Army Medical Command
(MEDCOM) headquarters, the Army Medical Department
(AMEDD) Center and School, the Fifth Recruiting Brigade, Navy Regional Recruiting, the San Antonio Military Entrance and Processing Station, and the Medical Education and Training Campus (METC). On October 1, 2010, Fort Sam Houston joined Lackland and Randolph Air Force Bases to create Joint Base San Antonio
, under Air Force administration.
U. S. Air Force Elements
U. S. Army Elements
, the Army decided to make Fort Sam Houston the principal medical training facility.
In conjunction with this decision came the determination to develop Brooke General Hospital
into one of the Army's premier medical centers. This combined the capabilities of Wilford Hall Medical Center located at nearby Lackland Air Force Base to create the largests medical treatment facility and teaching hospital in the Department of Defense. Construction associated with this transition increased the square footage of the hospital by 50%, including a much larger, variable capacity emergency department, additional surgical suites and recovery facilites, as well as teaching facilites and bed space. Despite the installation transitioning to Air Force control, the command and control of the facilty will remain with the Army. The command and other key positions will rotate between the Army and Air Force. Staffing consist of members of both services, as well as a large number of civilians.
As of 2011, Fort Sam Houston is the largest and most important military medical training facility in the world.
Military Medical Training is provided by numerous elements, including METC, AMEDD Center and School, Brooke Army Medical Center, US Army Institute of Surgical Research, The Center for Battlefield Health and Trauma, Defense Medical Readiness Training Institute, as well as many smaller organizations.
Known as the brain trust for the Army Medical Department, the Army Medical Department Center and School annually trains more than 25,000 students attending 170 officer, NCO and enlisted courses in 14 medical specialties. The command maintains several academic affiliations for bachelor and masters degree programs with major universities such as Baylor University
, University of Texas Health Science Centers at Houston and San Antonio, and University of Nebraska.
As a result of the Base Realignment and Closure Commission
(BRAC) 2005 recommendations, all military medical training will be consolidated at Fort Sam Houston. This consolidation will conclude in the opening of the Military Education and Training Campus (METC) in 2011. The Navy will move its medical training from San Diego, CA, Great Lakes, IL, and Portsmouth, VA. The Air Force will move from Sheppard Air Force Base, in Wichita Falls, TX. This will increase the average student load to more than 9,000 and will require an additional 4,000 in support staff. This will result in significant changes in the training footprint on post, requiring construction approaching one billion dollars.
Edward Ord
, a West Point
-trained army engineer. Today, as one of the Army's oldest installations, and with more than 900 buildings in its historic districts, Fort Sam Houston boasts one of the largest collection of historic military post structures. The significant contributions of Fort Sam Houston to the United States were recognized in 1975 when the post was designated as a National Historic Landmark
.
The Fort Sam Houston Quadrangle, built by George Henry Griebel
, is the oldest structure at Fort Sam Houston. It was originally a supply depot, and during that time, it also housed Geronimo and those Apaches captured with him while the Federal government decided whether they were prisoners of war or common criminals. Legend has it that the deer in the Quadrangle were there because Geronimo refused to eat food he did not hunt. In truth, the deer pre-date Geronimo in the Quadrangle, he ate the same rations as the soldiers, and no one really knows why the deer are there. The Quadrangle is now an office complex housing the commanding general and staff of U.S. Army North.
Even more consequential than the number of buildings is the historical integrity of the post's different sections, which represent different eras of construction, and reflect Army concepts in planning and design. Careful preservation of these areas allows the post to live with its history, surrounded by the traditions established when the first soldier arrived here in 1845.
, Commander of the Southern Department, was based at Fort Sam just after the infamous Houston Riot
of 1917. Brig. Gen.
Billy Mitchell was posted there after being demoted to Colonel
for disobeying orders. Dwight D. Eisenhower
was posted to Fort Sam Houston twice during his career. During Eisenhower's first post, from 1915 to 1917, he met and married Mamie Dowd
, and was again posted at the fort when the attack on Pearl Harbor
occurred in 1941. Their first home is one of the buildings preserved as historic monuments.
More than 27,000 military and civilian personnel work at the post, with an annual payroll and operating budget of $1.9 billion. Local purchases made by installation activities total almost $105 million annually. Funding for construction projects on post average $30 million annually. Fort Sam Houston has also initiated public–private partnerships to renovate and adaptively reuse significant historic buildings.
In June 2006, the San Antonio Express-News
reported that Fort Sam Houston received utility disconnection notices due to budget constraints.
Fort Sam Houston is one of three military facilities in Texas (all in the San Antonio area) to have its own school district, the Fort Sam Houston Independent School District
.
The United States Postal Service
operates the Fort Sam Houston Post Office at 1804 Stanley Road.
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
post in San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
.
Known colloquially as "Fort Sam," it is named for the first President of the Republic of Texas
Republic of Texas
The Republic of Texas was an independent nation in North America, bordering the United States and Mexico, that existed from 1836 to 1846.Formed as a break-away republic from Mexico by the Texas Revolution, the state claimed borders that encompassed an area that included all of the present U.S...
, Sam Houston
Sam Houston
Samuel Houston, known as Sam Houston , was a 19th-century American statesman, politician, and soldier. He was born in Timber Ridge in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, of Scots-Irish descent. Houston became a key figure in the history of Texas and was elected as the first and third President of...
.
The installation's missions include serving as the command headquarters for the United States Army North
United States Army North
United States Army North, or the Fifth Army, is an Army Service Component Command of the United States Army. It is responsible for homeland defense and defense support of civil authorities as the joint force land component command of United States Northern Command.-History:The Fifth United States...
(formerly the Fifth United States Army), United States Army South
United States Army South
United States Army South is the Army's service component command of United States Southern Command whose area of focus includes 31 nations and 10 territories in Latin America and the Caribbean. It is headquartered at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.-Mission:...
, the Army Medical Command
United States Army Medical Command
The U.S. Army Medical Command is a major command of the U.S. Army that provides command and control of the Army's fixed-facility medical, dental, and veterinary treatment facilities, providing preventive care, medical research and development and training institutions.MEDCOM is commanded by the...
(MEDCOM) headquarters, the Army Medical Department
Army Medical Department (United States)
The Army Medical Department of the U.S. Army – known as the AMEDD – comprises the Army's six medical Special Branches of officers and medical enlisted soldiers. It was established as the "Army Hospital" in July 1775 to coordinate the medical care required by the Continental Army during the...
(AMEDD) Center and School, the Fifth Recruiting Brigade, Navy Regional Recruiting, the San Antonio Military Entrance and Processing Station, and the Medical Education and Training Campus (METC). On October 1, 2010, Fort Sam Houston joined Lackland and Randolph Air Force Bases to create Joint Base San Antonio
Joint Base San Antonio
Joint Base San Antonio is a United States military facility located in San Antonio, Texas. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force 502d Air Base Wing, Air Education and Training Command ....
, under Air Force administration.
Hosted units
U. S. Department of Defense (DoD) ElementsUnited States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
- Medical Education and Training Campus (METC)
- United States Military Entrance Processing Command (USMEPCOM) Elements
- MEPS San Antonio
U. S. Air Force Elements
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
- HQ, 502d Air Base Wing502d Air Base WingThe 502d Air Base Wing is a United States Air Force unit that provides installation support for Joint Base San Antonio. The 502d activated on 1 August 2009...
- 502nd Mission Support Group (garrison command, formerly HHC USAG)
- Camp BullisCamp BullisCamp Bullis Military Training Reservation is a U.S. Army training camp located in Bexar County, Texas, just northwest of San Antonio, USA. The camp is named for Brigadier General John Lapham Bullis ,...
U. S. Army Elements
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
- U. S. Army Installation Management Command (IMCOM) ElementsUnited States Army Installation Management CommandThe United States Army Installation Management Command supports the United States Army's warfighting mission by providing standardized, effective & efficient services, facilities and infrastructure to Soldiers, Civilians and Families for an Army and Nation engaged in persistent conflict...
- HQ, U.S. Army IMCOMUnited States Army Installation Management CommandThe United States Army Installation Management Command supports the United States Army's warfighting mission by providing standardized, effective & efficient services, facilities and infrastructure to Soldiers, Civilians and Families for an Army and Nation engaged in persistent conflict...
- IMCOM West
- HQ, U.S. Army IMCOM
- U. S. Army Medical Command (MEDCOM) ElementsUnited States Army Medical CommandThe U.S. Army Medical Command is a major command of the U.S. Army that provides command and control of the Army's fixed-facility medical, dental, and veterinary treatment facilities, providing preventive care, medical research and development and training institutions.MEDCOM is commanded by the...
- HQ, U.S. Army MEDCOMUnited States Army Medical CommandThe U.S. Army Medical Command is a major command of the U.S. Army that provides command and control of the Army's fixed-facility medical, dental, and veterinary treatment facilities, providing preventive care, medical research and development and training institutions.MEDCOM is commanded by the...
- U.S. Army Veterinary Command (VETCOM)Veterinary Corps (United States Army)The U.S. Army Veterinary Corps is a staff corps of the U.S. Army Medical Department consisting of commissioned veterinary officers and HPSP veterinary students. It was established by an Act of Congress on 3 June 1916...
- U.S. Army Dental Command (DENCOM)
- Southern Regional Medical Command (SRMC)
- Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC)Brooke Army Medical CenterBrooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio is part of the United States Army Medical Command. It is a University of Texas Health Science Center and USUHS teaching hospital and contains the Army Burn Center....
- Troop Command, Brooke Army Medical Center, HHC & companies A-D
- Warrior Transition Battalion, Brooke Army Medical Center
- Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC)
- U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research (ISR)
- U.S. Army Medical Department Center and School (AMEDDC&S)
- Academy of Health Sciences
- 32nd Medical Brigade32nd Medical BrigadeThe 32nd Medical Brigade is a medical brigade in the United States Army formed in 1940. The units is a part of the United States Army Medical Department Center and School.-Structure:The following units are subordinate to the brigade:...
- 187th Medical Battalion, HHD & companies A-D
- 232d Medical Battalion, HHD & companies A-H
- 264th Medical Battalion, HHD & companies A-F
- Training Support Company (TSC)
- U.S. Army Medical Department Student Detachment
- Non-Commissioned Officer Academy
- Defense Medical Readiness Training Institute (DMRTI)
- MEDCOM Band
- Medical Information and Technology Center (MITC)
- HQ, U.S. Army MEDCOM
- U.S. Army North (ARNORTH) ElementsUnited States Army NorthUnited States Army North, or the Fifth Army, is an Army Service Component Command of the United States Army. It is responsible for homeland defense and defense support of civil authorities as the joint force land component command of United States Northern Command.-History:The Fifth United States...
- HQ, U.S. Army North (Fifth US Army)United States Army NorthUnited States Army North, or the Fifth Army, is an Army Service Component Command of the United States Army. It is responsible for homeland defense and defense support of civil authorities as the joint force land component command of United States Northern Command.-History:The Fifth United States...
- HQ, U.S. Army North (Fifth US Army)
- U.S. Army South (ARSOUTH) ElementsUnited States Army SouthUnited States Army South is the Army's service component command of United States Southern Command whose area of focus includes 31 nations and 10 territories in Latin America and the Caribbean. It is headquartered at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.-Mission:...
- HQ, U.S. Army South (Sixth US Army)
- U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) ElementsUnited States Army Forces CommandUnited States Army Forces Command is the largest Army Command and the preeminent provider of expeditionary, campaign-capable land forces to Combatant Commanders. Headquartered at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, FORSCOM consists of more than 750,000 Active Army, U.S. Army Reserve, and Army National...
- U.S. Army Recruiting Command (USAREC) ElementsUnited States Army Recruiting CommandThe United States Army Recruiting Command mission is to recruit the enlisted, non-commissioned and officer candidates for service in the United States Army and Army Reserve...
- U.S. Army Fifth Recruiting Brigade
- 5th Brigade, U.S. Army Cadet Command
- U.S. Army Contracting Command Elements
- 410th Contracting Support Brigade
- 412th Contracting Support Brigade
- U.S. Army Criminal Investigation CommandU.S. Army Criminal Investigation CommandUnited States Army Criminal Investigation Command investigates felony crimes and serious violations of military law within the United States Army...
- 6th Region CID Ft. Sam Houston
- 25th Military Police Detachment
- U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM) ElementsUnited States Army Intelligence and Security CommandThe United States Army Intelligence and Security Command is a direct reporting unit that conducts intelligence, security, and information operations for U.S. Army commanders and national decision makers. INSCOM is both an organization within the United States Army and the National Security Agency,...
- U.S. Army Network Enterprise & Technology Command
- U.S. Army Environmental Command
Military medicine
Fort Sam Houston is known as the "Home of Army Medicine" and "Home of the Combat Medic." At the end of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Army decided to make Fort Sam Houston the principal medical training facility.
In conjunction with this decision came the determination to develop Brooke General Hospital
Brooke Army Medical Center
Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio is part of the United States Army Medical Command. It is a University of Texas Health Science Center and USUHS teaching hospital and contains the Army Burn Center....
into one of the Army's premier medical centers. This combined the capabilities of Wilford Hall Medical Center located at nearby Lackland Air Force Base to create the largests medical treatment facility and teaching hospital in the Department of Defense. Construction associated with this transition increased the square footage of the hospital by 50%, including a much larger, variable capacity emergency department, additional surgical suites and recovery facilites, as well as teaching facilites and bed space. Despite the installation transitioning to Air Force control, the command and control of the facilty will remain with the Army. The command and other key positions will rotate between the Army and Air Force. Staffing consist of members of both services, as well as a large number of civilians.
As of 2011, Fort Sam Houston is the largest and most important military medical training facility in the world.
Military Medical Training is provided by numerous elements, including METC, AMEDD Center and School, Brooke Army Medical Center, US Army Institute of Surgical Research, The Center for Battlefield Health and Trauma, Defense Medical Readiness Training Institute, as well as many smaller organizations.
Known as the brain trust for the Army Medical Department, the Army Medical Department Center and School annually trains more than 25,000 students attending 170 officer, NCO and enlisted courses in 14 medical specialties. The command maintains several academic affiliations for bachelor and masters degree programs with major universities such as Baylor University
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
, University of Texas Health Science Centers at Houston and San Antonio, and University of Nebraska.
As a result of the Base Realignment and Closure Commission
Base Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure is a process of the United States federal government directed at the administration and operation of the Armed Forces, used by the United States Department of Defense and Congress to close excess military installations and realign the total asset inventory to reduce...
(BRAC) 2005 recommendations, all military medical training will be consolidated at Fort Sam Houston. This consolidation will conclude in the opening of the Military Education and Training Campus (METC) in 2011. The Navy will move its medical training from San Diego, CA, Great Lakes, IL, and Portsmouth, VA. The Air Force will move from Sheppard Air Force Base, in Wichita Falls, TX. This will increase the average student load to more than 9,000 and will require an additional 4,000 in support staff. This will result in significant changes in the training footprint on post, requiring construction approaching one billion dollars.
Historic buildings
Construction at Fort Sam Houston began in the middle 1870s under the supervision of the military commander of the Department of Texas, Major GeneralMajor General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Edward Ord
Edward Ord
Edward Otho Cresap Ord was the designer of Fort Sam Houston, and a United States Army officer who saw action in the Seminole War, the Indian Wars, and the American Civil War. He commanded an army during the final days of the Civil War, and was instrumental in forcing the surrender of Confederate...
, a West Point
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
-trained army engineer. Today, as one of the Army's oldest installations, and with more than 900 buildings in its historic districts, Fort Sam Houston boasts one of the largest collection of historic military post structures. The significant contributions of Fort Sam Houston to the United States were recognized in 1975 when the post was designated as a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
.
The Fort Sam Houston Quadrangle, built by George Henry Griebel
George Henry Griebel
George Henry Griebel was a prominent Berlin-born and trained architect who resided in New York City. He designed numerous public and private buildings, many of which are still standing in New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington DC...
, is the oldest structure at Fort Sam Houston. It was originally a supply depot, and during that time, it also housed Geronimo and those Apaches captured with him while the Federal government decided whether they were prisoners of war or common criminals. Legend has it that the deer in the Quadrangle were there because Geronimo refused to eat food he did not hunt. In truth, the deer pre-date Geronimo in the Quadrangle, he ate the same rations as the soldiers, and no one really knows why the deer are there. The Quadrangle is now an office complex housing the commanding general and staff of U.S. Army North.
Even more consequential than the number of buildings is the historical integrity of the post's different sections, which represent different eras of construction, and reflect Army concepts in planning and design. Careful preservation of these areas allows the post to live with its history, surrounded by the traditions established when the first soldier arrived here in 1845.
Notable postings
Several famous figures have served at the fort. Maj. Gen. John Wilson RuckmanJohn Wilson Ruckman
-Early life:Ruckman was born at Deers, Illinois, a flag-station just southeast of the University of Illinois. Biographies, however, usually list his place of birth as Sidney, Illinois . His parents, Thomas and Mary O'Brien Ruckman, were farmers. His uncles, John W...
, Commander of the Southern Department, was based at Fort Sam just after the infamous Houston Riot
Houston Riot (1917)
The Houston Riot of 1917, or Camp Logan Riot, was a mutiny by 156 African American soldiers of the Third Battalion of the all-black Twenty-fourth United States Infantry. It occupied most of one night, and resulted in the deaths of four soldiers and sixteen civilians. The rioting soldiers were tried...
of 1917. Brig. Gen.
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
Billy Mitchell was posted there after being demoted to Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
for disobeying orders. Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
was posted to Fort Sam Houston twice during his career. During Eisenhower's first post, from 1915 to 1917, he met and married Mamie Dowd
Mamie Eisenhower
Mamie Geneva Doud Eisenhower was the wife of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, and First Lady of the United States from 1953 to 1961.-Early life:...
, and was again posted at the fort when the attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
occurred in 1941. Their first home is one of the buildings preserved as historic monuments.
Community connections
Throughout its existence, a close and harmonious relationship has prevailed between Fort Sam Houston and the City of San Antonio. The two have grown and matured together. The city often has been called the "mother-in-law of the Army" because so many soldiers including Dwight D. Eisenhower, met their future spouses there.More than 27,000 military and civilian personnel work at the post, with an annual payroll and operating budget of $1.9 billion. Local purchases made by installation activities total almost $105 million annually. Funding for construction projects on post average $30 million annually. Fort Sam Houston has also initiated public–private partnerships to renovate and adaptively reuse significant historic buildings.
In June 2006, the San Antonio Express-News
San Antonio Express-News
The San Antonio Express-News is the daily newspaper of San Antonio, Texas. It is ranked as the third-largest daily newspaper in the state of Texas in terms of circulation, and is one of the leading news sources of South Texas, with offices in Austin, Brownsville, Laredo, and Mexico City...
reported that Fort Sam Houston received utility disconnection notices due to budget constraints.
Fort Sam Houston is one of three military facilities in Texas (all in the San Antonio area) to have its own school district, the Fort Sam Houston Independent School District
Fort Sam Houston Independent School District
Fort Sam Houston Independent School District is a public school district based in San Antonio, Texas .The district was formed in 1951 and opened for class in September 1952 for the purpose of serving the children of military personnel residing on Fort Sam Houston and Camp Bullis; previously, the...
.
The United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
operates the Fort Sam Houston Post Office at 1804 Stanley Road.
See also
- United States Army Medical Department MuseumUnited States Army Medical Department MuseumThe U.S. Army Medical Department Museum or AMEDD Museum, Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas, originated as part of the Army's Field Service School at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania. It moved to Fort Sam Houston in 1946. It is currently a component of the U.S...
- Dodd Army AirfieldDodd Army AirfieldDodd Army Airfield was an airfield located within the current boundaries of Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. Dodd Field includes the area bounded on the north by Rittiman Road, on the west by Harry Wurzbach Memorial Highway, on the south by Winans Road and on the east by the Fort Sam...
- United States Army Medical Department Captains Career CourseUnited States Army Medical Department Captains Career CourseThe United States Army Medical Department Captains Career Course is an Officer Advance Course taught at Fort Sam Houston, Texas that provides graduate level leadership training for all six special officer branches in the AMEDD....
External links
- Official Fort Sam Houston Web Site
- Fort Sam Houston Museum
- Fort Sam Houston National Historic Landmark file
- Fort Sam Houston Handbook of Texas OnlineHandbook of TexasThe Handbook of Texas is a comprehensive encyclopedia of Texas geography, history, and historical persons published by the Texas State Historical Association .-History:...
- Illustrated postcards depicting Fort Sam Houston at the University of Houston Digital Library